


Where The Forest Ends

by TheOrgasmicSeke



Series: The Tales Of Trost [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magical Realism, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, I don't know what else to tag this, M/M, Sequel, eren and armin are lovey dovey, uhhh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-31
Updated: 2014-01-31
Packaged: 2018-01-10 15:43:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1161577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOrgasmicSeke/pseuds/TheOrgasmicSeke
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Whispers In The Dark. Centuries later, Eren and Armin are living a comfortable life in New York city. But Trost has been rediscovered and people are starting to disappear again. It's time for the Titans to return to their forest. Eremin. AU. Rated T for language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Where The Forest Ends

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like this took way longer than it should have. But here it is. I'm not sure how I feel about it but welp, here's the sequel I promised.
> 
> Warnings: There's not much. Maybe a little adult language and a bit OOCness? Maybe?
> 
> Disclaimer: The universe? Yea, that's mine. The characters? Well, you know. Not mine.
> 
> BE SURE TO READ WHISPERS IN THE DARK BEFORE THIS OTHERWISE THIS WILL PROBABLY MAKE LITTLE SENSE.
> 
> I also wanted to thank my Brofriend Tylar for being my Beta for this~

For centuries Trost was left undiscovered and untouched by the changing world around it. But time was not always kind to the village. Over time, the village was struck with many diseases and many harsh winters. The village eventually fell apart and the fear of the forest drove the villagers away till the town was left empty and alone. For centuries, Trost sat alone without a single soul to occupy it and not a single person was aware it even existed any more.

But the age of planes arrived and with the right technology, Trost was discovered on August 24th, 2012. Surprisingly, it wasn't found before hand but the deep forests of Germany were still undiscovered. Trost was found, still surrounded by the exceptionally large trees and there were two particular men who found this to be a little worrying. Though the village was empty, that did not mean the forest was.

And so, only five months after Trost was discovered, an already popular children's book author decided to write a true fairy tale about the town. Though, he was never sure if anyone would actually believe the story, he thought it best to at least put forth the effort. He knew the world had changed over the centuries and people no longer believed in the true magic of the world. But he felt it was best to try.

That was, me, Armin Arlert and I knew Trost better than any one else alive. I knew about the evil that still lived in that forest and the danger within. Even though Eren and I had not lived in the forest of Trost for centuries, we still felt an urge to protect the people from it. Evil did not just go away. It was always there; lurking and waiting for the next victim. I _knew_ the changelings had grown impatient over time with nothing to entertain them. And now Trost had been discovered and people were bound to populate it. I knew those people were in danger. So I did the only thing I could do.

I wrote about it. I told my story even though I knew no one would probably believe it. Eren had been supportive the entire time. Though Eren had always been supportive with me. He followed me all over the world before we settled in New York, New York in the country of The United States only a few years before Trost was discovered. We had a hard time remaining in one place for too long because neither of us aged. But New York seemed like the best place for the two of us. People didn't notice us too much and that's what was best.

But now, we were noticed. At least I was. I hadn't meant for my writing to become something. It was something I did for Eren. I wrote fairy tales for my lover who happened to love them even more than the books I found in stores. It was by chance that someone of power discovered my books. A strange chance that led me to being a best-selling fairy tale novelist. Although the money was welcome and I could quit my horrible job as a waiter, the fact that I was now officially known to the world bothered me slightly. Though... Until The Tales Of Trost was published, I had no idea what it really meant to be known in the present world.

* * *

The sun was high in the clear blue sky but the wind that blew through the large city was bitter cold. It was the beginning of December and it had yet to snow in New York though they were calling for it over the next few days. It certainly was cool enough for it to snow I was bundled up as I walked down the slightly crowded sidewalk. My hay colored hair had been allowed to grow and was now past my shoulders; though I always kept it tied back into a half-pony tail with my bangs free along with a few strands by my ears and cheeks. My long blonde hair blew slightly in the wind but was mostly kept down by the band of the fluffy white earmuffs I wore. My ears were perfectly warm in the soft fur, though it was really only for show, and my hair remained relatively tamed. My hands were covered in equally white gloves but were stuffed into the pockets of my white coat that trailed to my knees. The collar of the coat had white faux-fur that matched my earmuffs and kept my neck warm without the need of a scarf. The outfit had been a gift from Eren and it was strange to never see me wearing it inside the winter season. It had been a joke at first. Eren telling me I reminded him of beautiful white bunny but it soon became too precious for me to rid myself of it. I also wore matching white leather boots that had a soft warm inner lining that kept my toes perfectly warm in the bitter cold weather. My entire outfit was white besides the form-fitting black skinny jeans covering my legs.

I had not grown over the centuries of my life. At least not physically. My mind had expanded beyond comprehension but I was still the same person I had been so many years ago. At least, I liked to believe I was. Though, there was a slight difference; being that I did not age. I still looked a youthful eighteen though these days I was passing for twenty years old. My sky blue eyes still held the burning curiosity and youth inside them they always had. The same thing that made Eren fall for me to begin with.

A shiver ran through the my bones and I tightened my limbs closer to my body. I tucked my head down slightly and pushed onward, squeezing past people on the sidewalk who gave me no second glance. It was something I loved about New York. The people hardly noticed each other unless something bad was happening. Otherwise, everyone kept to themselves and that was just how I preferred it. It wasn't the first time Eren and I had lived in a large city but for some reason, New York just stuck out to me. Though, I still loved the peacefulness of a small town. I was sure the next time we had to move, we would find a nice little town to settle down in.

I bit my lower lip slightly as I approached the large glistening building that was my destination. I shifted from foot to foot for a moment before pressing forward, a little nervous. I passed through the automatic doors and smiled kindly to the old guard sitting at the front desk. The man sent a smile back and allowed me to pass through to the elevator. Sometimes, I was struck with how much the world had progressed in such a short period of time. As I stood in the elevator, waiting to reach the top floor, I just smiled at my muddled reflection in the steel of the elevator door. It was wonderful how much the human race had progressed but it was also worrying how they had forgotten what they once feared. They had forgotten the things that still lurked in the shadows and turned those things into something completely different.

I released a soft sigh at the thought of a few recent movie trailers I had seen. These creatures were not romantic but humans were starting to believe they were. I knew it was all in good fun but they truly did not realize the danger. Though, I did give a few creatures the benefit of the doubt. After all, I was one of them but was in no way a danger to anyone. I wasn't even on the hunters list though that was because I was sure hunters had no idea Eren and I existed. At least, that was what our hunter friend Mikasa had told us. She dealt with other hunters on a daily basis and had yet to come across one with the knowledge of the Titans. I was sure she intended to keep it that way because she had made it her personal goal to protect the us. I still wasn't sure why she had but it seemed she felt a special connection to both of us and neither had the heart to refuse her. She was kind and lovely to us after all.

The elevator dinged, stopping a few floors beneath the top and I glanced up when the doors slid open, my eyes connecting with the male on the other side of the door. We blinked at each other before I put on a smile for the older but shorter male. "Good morning, Levi."

The slightly shorter male grumbled a reply as he stepped into the elevator, moving to stand beside me. He didn't bother to press a button seeing as the two of us were headed to the same place. I removed my earmuffs, letting them rest around my neck and unbuttoned a few buttons on my coat as I glanced to Levi. The male was dressed nicely but had the same dull look on his face as always. It was something I was used to. I did noticed the brown package the male held under his arm and I knew exactly what it was.

"I take it you won't tell me why Erwin called me here, will you?" I questioned softly.

"Bastard won't even tell me why he called you here." Levi spoke dully back.

I blinked at his words. "Oh really? That's odd. Doesn't he tell you everything?"

"Fuck if I know. The bastard tells me what he wants to tell me." Levi said with a shrug.

I held back a soft giggle at Levi's words, knowing that such a thing did actually bother the male. I'd known for a while about their secret relationship but had yet to speak a word about it. It was a secret for a reason after all. "Well, there's nothing wrong with the new book is there?" I questioned one of my many concerns.

Levi glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "Nothing that would require him to call in the author."

Sky blue eyes widened slightly. "So something is wrong."

"Just a fucking printing error. Nothing I can't handle." He tightened his hold on the brown package under his arm. "I'm going to re-read through the final draft and hopefully those idiots at the printers will learn how to do their fucking job."

I released a soft giggle at the male's words. "Aw, Levi, you really are the best editor ever."

"Shut up." He snapped back but I knew it was his way of hiding his embarrassment. It took me a while, about four months, but I had finally learned how Levi worked. That though was at least three years ago.

The elevator dinged, signaling our arrival to the top floor and the doors slid open, revealing a beautiful entrance-way with an equally beautiful redhead sitting at the desk. We stepped through the elevator and then Levi took off to his own office on the right side of the entrance-way. I chuckled softly at the male before stepping up to the ginger at the desk.

"Hello Petra." I said softly, smiling kindly to the young female.

Petra flashed me a smile in return before motioning to the large double doors to my left. "Good morning, Armin. Mr. Smith has been waiting for you."

"I'm not late, am I?" I asked, tilting my head in concern.

"Oh no. He's just super excited to see you!" She exclaimed, her eyes lighting up.

I blinked at her words, my brow crinkling. "He's excited... to see me? Petra, sweetheart, I'm pretty sure I have never seen Erwin even crack a smile these past few years."

She giggled at my words, her tanned cheeks flushing slightly. "Oh, I know that. But he has his ways of showing how he cares." She got to her feet and moved around her desk to start to push me toward the door. "Now go. He's waiting."

I chuckled softly at her as I moved willingly toward the door. "Yes, Yes, okay. I'm going." I smiled at her as she moved back to her desk with a strange gleam in her eyes. I just shrugged and opened the door, slipping inside without bothering to announce my arrival. Erwin Smith's office was rather huge but that was the privilege of being the editor-in-chief of one of the top publication companies in the country. I shut the door beside me before stepping inside the large office, glancing around for the large editor-in-chief.

"Erwin~." I called, glancing over at the walls of windows that overlooked the city before stepping up to the empty desk. "Where did you go?"

"I have not gone anywhere." I flinched at the deep voice and glanced over to see said blonde man exiting his personal bathroom.

"Ah." I flashed him a smile. "Well, good. Cause I'm here!" I giggled faintly as I plopped down into one of the large leather black chairs Erwin had near his desk. "What was so damn important you had to call me at eight in the morning and ruin my morning time with Eren?"

Sharp blue eyes looked me over as the man moved to sit back at his large desk that was covered in papers but organized very well. "I have one simple question for you Armin. That is all."

I blinked twice before a frown came to my face. "A question. You called me all the way here for a question? Couldn't you have asked me over the phone? I thought something was wrong with my new book." I spoke, a hint of anger to my voice as I sat up straight in the large chair.

Erwin just stared at me for a moment before slowly opening a drawer in his desk. He reached inside and pulled out a small yellowed envelope that he then sat down on the desk. I could not see what was written on it from the angle I sat at but it did pique my interest. I glanced over it before meeting those sharp blue eyes. The silence was normal between us as we stared at each other.

"Okay." I finally broke, relaxing my shoulders slightly. "What is it you wish to ask me?"

Erwin relaxed as well and sat back into his chair. "As you know, Tale of Trost has been doing quite well. It is your best-selling novel to date. You've created quite the fan base and people are desiring more." I arched an eyebrow at the male's words but remained quiet, wondering if I was about to be asked to write a series. I was already working on a sequel but I didn't know they wanted more than that. "Not only that, but you've given Trost a great deal of attention. I am not sure if you are aware, but in the past few months it has become quite the tourist attraction." I bit my lower lip, aware of what Erwin was telling me. I had been to the website and had seen the pictures of a town lost in time. "But also, within those past few months, people have disappeared." My blood suddenly ran cold at those words as Erwin folded his hands on his desk, his eyes narrowing as he leaned forward. "So tell me Armin. Is your story true?"

My breath hitched in my throat and I was frozen to the spot. I had been asked that question so many times but no one had ever been serious about it. I knew Erwin and I knew the male was serious. I also knew that Erwin already knew the answer to his question. He was just testing to see if I would be truthful or not. So, with a soft sigh and a tense smile I answered. "Yes."

"I thought as much." The male leaned back in his seat, folding his hands in his lap as he looked me over. "Locals of the towns near Trost have given statements that are similar to a few things you mentioned. The legends are still lingering in those towns. Now, it's hard for people today to believe such things and to be honest, I am still a little skeptical. But people are disappearing and there is a rumor of a white rabbit. I have no way of knowing if that is because of your influence or the truth. I can only focus on the fact that people are disappearing in a town that was recently discovered. A town you wrote about in detail."

I inhaled deeply. "What are you expecting from me?"

"I believe you already know." He murmured before pushing the envelope toward the me. "It's important we stop this and I know you can."

I glanced at the envelope but stayed in place. "There's nothing I can do, Erwin. People will not believe my warnings. I wrote that book for a reason and all it has seemed to do was influence people to go to Trost even more. That was not my intention. The town is a lovely place but the forest..." I sighed softly, running a hand through my hair before tightening the band holding it back. "It will never be safe and there is nothing I can do to stop that if no one is willing to listen to me." My eyes narrowed slightly. "And I have no intention of informing anyone the truth about Eren and I."

Erwin nodded firmly. "I understand. But I have a feeling there is more you can do than you believe." He glanced at the envelope on the table. "Open it."

With a sigh, I grabbed the envelope and skimmed over the address. The only thing written on it, was my name and the address of the publication building. I glanced up at Erwin before turning it around to see it had already been opened. That did not surprise me. It was common for mail that was sent to the building to be checked first. I pulled out the folded pieces of paper and paused as I looked them over. They were old. Very old. My eyes narrowed slightly as I unfolded the few sheets and started to read. Erwin watched with keen interest for a few minutes until I refolded the letter and placed it back into the envelope.

"You read this." I stated, glancing up at the editor-in-chief.

"I thought it was just some crazy fan until the end. Normal ink does not do that."

"So you believe then?" I asked softly, stuffing the letter into the inside of my coat pocket.

"I need a bit more evidence before I do." He stated before getting to his feet. "Clear your schedule for the next few days. You are going back to Trost."

I was on his feet immediately. "What? Why?"

"Is that not what was requested of you?"

"Well... Yes and I intend to do as asked." I narrowed my eyes at the other blonde. "But I need to talk to Eren about this. He will want to come with me."

Erwin nodded and moved around his desk, heading toward the door. I blinked and followed after him. Erwin opened the door and left it open as he walked up to Petra. "Book four tickets to the closest airport to Trost, Germany for me, please."

Petra blinked up at him though there was a sly smile on her lips. "Of course, sir." And then she returned to her computer, doing just as asked. "When would you like it to be?"

Erwin glanced to me but I just stared at him. "Tomorrow would be best."

"I'm on it, Sir."

"You do realized Levi is going to be pissed that you are going to drag him across the ocean, right?" I pointed out, raising an eyebrow as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"He'll forgive me. I'll e-mail you the details later. You should head home. You have a lover to speak with." Erwin said.

"Yes well, said lover won't be home until later. I do have a lunch date however." I shifted past Erwin and tapped Petra's shoulder. "Do me a favor and make that five tickets."

The redhead glanced at Erwin who nodded before returning to her computer. "Of course, Armin."

"Dare I ask what you need another ticket for?"

A sly smirk came to my lips. "You remember Mikasa, don't you? There's no way she'll let Eren and I leave the country without her and I prefer for her to come along."

Erwin's face fell slightly. Of course he remembered the beautiful Japanese woman. Levi and her nearly got into a fist fight because of how Levi spoke to me. "Wonderful. Levi will certainly be even more joyous." Erwin grumbled slightly as he turned away and disappeared into Levi's office, shutting the door behind him.

"You're doing that just to mess with him, aren't you?" Petra spoke with humor in her voice.

I flashed her a grin. "Hey, if he's going to make me suddenly fly across the ocean then he's got to suffer a little bit. Though, I have a feeling Levi will make him suffer enough for it." I chuckled to myself as I turned away from Petra. "Have a good day, Petra." I waved to her before moving to the elevator and pressing the down button. I didn't wait long before the doors slid open and I stepped inside. I flashed Petra one last smile before the door shut.

"Shit." I cursed softly, biting my lip as I leaned back against the railing in the elevator. Erwin _knew_. Though the man was skeptical, I knew how his mind worked. It was a lot like mine. If Erwin knew then it was a given that Levi knew or would sometime soon and even though Erwin did not seem bothered by it, it still bothered me. I didn't even want to think about how Eren would take it. I was sure the male would remain calm, shrug and tell me I had it coming. I _did_ tell the entire world the story of how we became lovers. There were bound to be people who actually believed it. Eren had told me that the moment I had decided to write the story.

Erwin and Levi were no threat however. I knew that. They were trustworthy men and probably didn't give a damn that the story was true. All they cared about was how the company looked and with people disappearing in Trost... It wasn't looking too well. Hanji claimed she could fix it and I had faith that she could. I reached into my pocket and rubbed my fingertips over the letter.

I had not heard from Hanji in a very long time. It had been at least two-hundred years since she had written us and even longer than that since we had seen her. Once we left the forest, we never returned. We planned to but it had yet to come to be. Now, we were returning without much choice in the matter. I knew we were welcome back but it was nice to read the letter and hear how much Hanji missed us. It would be pleasant to see her again. She sounded quite excited in the letter, claiming she knew a way to block the forest from anyone human but she needed our help. I was more than willing to help but I wasn't entirely happy that me bosses were going with us. It was bound to be an interesting trip for sure.

* * *

With a groan, I tugged out my phone from my pocket while my other hand buttoned my coat. Sure, it was all for show but I was so used to it at this point that I did things naturally. I never got cold but it still felt nice to be wrapped up in warm clothing. I scrolled through my contacts, pressing a little hard on the touch screen through my gloves as I finished buttoning up my coat. I left my earmuffs around my neck as I turned down the street toward the metro. I found the number I was searching for, pressed send and then held the phone to my ear. It only rang once.

_"Hello Armin."_

"Hey Mikasa." I smiled softly at her warm voice. "I need a favor."

_"Anything."_

"Well, see, here's the thing. Erwin's heard that people are disappearing in Trost and Hanji sent me a letter about it too. Erwin knows Mikasa. He read the letter."

The line was silent for a moment. _"You want me to remove him?"_

I chuckled softly at her words. "No, Mikasa. No. It's fine. I'm not sure how Eren will take it but Erwin is a trustworthy guy. But! Don't tell Eren until I get to. Don't tell Eren anything I am about to tell you because I want to tell him first."

_"Alright."_

I nodded, coming to a stop at a cross walk. "Erwin is flying us out to Trost to take care of what is going on. I tried to tell him there's nothing Eren and I can really do but he read the letter. Hanji says she knows a way to keep humans out of the forest. So, of course, now, we are going to Trost."

_"When?"_

"To... Hold on." I said then suddenly my free hand snapped out, grabbing the back of an older man's trench coat and tugged him back so hard and fast that the phone pressed to his ear fell right to the ground just as a taxi sped by. I heard a few gasps around me but I ignored them as I released the man.

"What the hell?!" The man snapped, spinning around before his dark eyes landed on me. "Why the fuck did you do that?"

I pressed the phone to my shoulder as I raised an eyebrow at the male. "You were almost hit by a taxi." I stated the obvious.

His dark eyes narrowed and he hissed, snatching his now broken phone from the ground. "No one asked you." He snapped at me before walking off down the street.

I watched him for a moment before letting out a hiss. "Then I should have let you get struck." I grumbled before pressing the phone back to my ear. "Mikasa?"

 _"You have too much faith in humanity."_ She stated with a faint sigh.

"Yea, I'm starting to realize that." I glanced both ways when the light turned green and started crossing the road with the other people around me. "Anyway. Where was I?"

_"You were telling me when you and Eren were going to Trost."_

"Oh right. Well, we leave tomorrow."

_"I'm going."_

I chuckled. "Yes, I know you are. I had Erwin book at ticket for you."

 _"You didn't have to do that, Armin."_ Her voice held a hint of fondness.

I couldn't help but smile. "Sure I did. I knew you'd want to come."

_"Then what is the favor you require?"_

I bit my lip. "Levi is going. I need you to be nice."

She was silent for a moment before speaking again. By then, I had made it down the metro stairs. _"Is it important for the mission?"_

I snorted. "Yes, Mikasa. It's important."

_"He won't be nice."_

"I know. But I need you two to not fight. It really wouldn't bode well for me if you knocked out one of my bosses."

_"I'm sure he could hold his own."_

I let out a sigh. "Mikasa... That is not the point."

_"Yes, I know. I understand. I will do my best."_

"Thank you. I'll text you later with the details."

_"Alright. Take care, Armin."_

"You too." I heard the line click and I pulled my phone away from my ear. It was nearly eleven and I hoped I wouldn't be late for my lunch appointment. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket then pulled my earmuffs over my ears as I stood, waiting for my train to arrive.

It was nearly noon by the time I reached Maria's; a lovely little café that had become a favorite of mine over the years. The door dinged as I stepped through into the warm café. I tugged my earmuffs off and started to unbutton my coat as a familiar waitress came up to me.

"Good morning, Armin."

I flashed the lovely brunette a smile. "Morning, Sasha. How are you?" I asked as I shrugged off my coat.

Sasha grinned at me, clutching the menus to her chest. "I'm great. What about you?"

"I'm lovely. How's Connie?" I asked her, folding my coat over my arm.

Her cheeks flushed a light pink. "Oh, he's good. Same as always?" She asked.

I shook my head. "I'm meeting someone actually. He might be here." I glanced over the small café before spotting exactly who I was looking for. "Ah, There."

Sasha smiled at me. "Alright. Tea?" At my nod, she bowed her head and went off to get my usual order.

I smiled after her before moving over to the table in the back corner near the window. "Bert~." I called, gaining the attention of the tall male who had been staring outside the window. When those warm eyes landed on me, he lit up and a grin came to his face as he got to his feet.

"Armin." He opened his arms to me and I eagerly met his hug, wrapping my arms tightly around him. "It's been too long." He murmured against my hair.

I giggled softly, nuzzling into his chest for a moment before pulling back. Over the many centuries, Bert had become a big brother to me just as he had for Eren. "It has." We pulled apart and I took the seat across from him, hanging my coat over the back of the chair. "How's Reiner?"

Bert smiled softly as he folded his arms on the table. "Same as always. How's Eren?"

I returned his smile with flushed cheeks. "Oh you know~."

Bert chuckled softly. "Do I?"

I nodded. "He's working pretty hard at the site though I keep telling him he doesn't have to."

"Well, you know Eren. He wants to feel important. Working and providing for the two of you makes him feel that way even if you really don't need the money." And we didn't considering we'd been saving for centuries.

"I know." I sighed softly, crossing one leg over the other under the table. "I just miss spending every moment with him."

Bert chuckled softly, a grin on his lips. "Ah, the old days. They were nice. Amazing how time has changed."

I couldn't help but return his grin. "Oh yes, the old days. When we could run around in the forest without a care in the world."

Bert nodded at my words. It really was nice to see him again. It had been years since I'd seen Bert. Ever since we moved to New York from England where Reiner and Bert lived. They were visiting the city for a while, looking for a place to move to. After hearing how much Eren and I loved New York, they decided it would be nice to be near us again and move here as well.

"How's the apartment hunting going?" I asked with a soft smile.

"It's going." Bert answered with a soft chuckle. "Reiner is dealing with an agent at the moment. I was hoping we could all go out to dinner soon."

I nodded in agreement. "That would be great. I know Eren wants to see you just as badly as I did." I blushed softly. "I do feel a but bad that he couldn't come to lunch with us."

Bert waved a hand. "He'll be alright. I'll see him soon. I just spoke to him this morning."

Sasha returned at that moment, placing down my green tea with honey in front of me with a soft smile. I returned her smile while motioning for her to stay for a moment. "Sasha, this is Eren's brother, Bertholdt. Though he's like a brother to me as well." I introduced, noticing the way Bert smiled at my words. I could have just said he was my brother but it would have just been more confusing that way."Bert, this is Sasha. She's a good friend of ours."

Sasha grinned and held out her hand which Bert took in a warm greeting. "It's great to meet you! Eren's mentioned you before."

Bert smiled at her words as he released her hand. "Has he?"

She nodded, her ponytail bouncing slightly. "They're both quite fond of you." She glanced at me with a smile.

"Well, I am quite fond of the both of them." He told her.

Sasha laughed softly. "We all are. It's hard not to be." She placed her hand on my head and ruffled my hair slightly. I chuckled at her while trying to fix my hair. "So, is there anything I can get you two?"

I shook my head while Bert told her "No, thank you". She left with a grin, telling us to call if we needed anything. "She's sweet." Bert said, meeting my eyes.

I nodded with a smile, tugging the band tying my hair back before letting my hands drop into my lap. "Her boyfriend works with Eren. They're both kind people."

"I'm glad you've made friends besides Mikasa."

"Well, it's not like we've been avoiding making friends. It's just easier if we don't have any when we leave. But well, Mikasa will follow us to the end of the earth." I giggles faintly at my words. "And we're all okay with that." I shrugged. "But Sasha and Connie are just... well they're kind and good people. It was hard to _not_ become their friends."

"I'm glad." Bert said with a nod, sipping on his coffee. "You grew out your hair." He pointed out, considering not a thing about him had changed.

I blinked at his words before chuckling softly. "Eren and I both did. Though mine is longer than his. His hair matches his Titan form now." I blushed softly. "I offhandedly mentioned how much I loved his hair in titan form and well... he grew it out."

Bert smiled brightly at me. "You two are just as in love as ever, hm?"

I stuck my tongue out at him before hiding behind my tea-cup as I sipped the warm liquid. "How are you and Reiner?" I mumbled back, causing the much taller male to flush with color.

"We're doing well." He mumbled in return, glancing out the window.

A soft smile curled to my lips as I watched him over the rim of my cup, relaxing back into the chair. "Bert?" I questioned softly, gaining his attention. "What do you think of New York?"

He hummed faintly, shifting his eyes back out the window. "It reminds me a bit of london."

"You're alright with the city life?" I questioned as I placed my tea-cup back down on its saucer.

"It's not all that bad. Reiner seems to enjoy it."

"And what about you? Do you ever think about returning to the forest?"

Bert blinked, an eyebrow arching as he turned to face me. "Armin? What is this about?"

I flushed softly at his gaze and sunk a little more in my chair. "I was just wondering."

"Do _you_ think about returning? You know Eren would follow you anywhere. He's proved that already." Bert spoke softly, his tone kind as he reached across the table toward me.

I bit my lip as I lifted my hand, placing it in his so he could give it a squeeze. "I know that. I was just wondering if you thought about it. Sometimes, I feel like the forest is calling to me. Eren... He says he feels it too."

Bert nodded. "We all feel it, Armin."

I met his eyes. "We're going back." His eyebrows arched. "Just for a visit. Hanji sent me a letter. She sent it to my publishing office. Did you not give her our new address?"

Bert blinked. "Reiner was supposed to. Perhaps he forgot."

I shrugged, glancing away as he rubbed a thumb over the back of my hand soothingly. "Either way, We're going back for a little bit. Eren, um, isn't aware yet." Bert was silent, urging me on to explain with a squeeze to my hand. "My editors... They um, well they know." I told him, glancing up to meet his eyes.

Bert's expression was soft as he gazed at me. "You told them?"

"No... Not exactly. Erwin figured it out. But, they are trustworthy. He's just worried because people have started disappearing again since Trost was re-discovered. So, he's taking me, Eren and Mikasa back there." I explained, my voice low as I gazed at him.

Bert's eyes narrowed slightly. "We thought this might happen. Reiner and I have discussed it. How bad is it?"

I let out a soft sigh. "Bad enough for my boss to take notice and force me to fly there so I can fix it. If they find out people are disappearing in the forest then they will just send _more_ people to find them. It can get really bad, Bert. It's best to deal with this now. That's what Hanji said."

"She has a plan then?"

I nodded. "I have no idea what it is but she wants Eren and I there. I thought it best to tell you."

"Perhaps Reiner and I should come with you."

"Hanji said she sent you two a letter. But since you're here, you might not have received it."

Bert nodded, releasing my hand to pull his cell phone from his pocket. "We'll come with you. The more Titans, the better. Annie is still there after all. It's best if we're all there."

I nodded. "It would be nice if we all went back to visit."

"Family reunion." Bert said with a chuckle as he flipped through his phone. "But how are you feeling about all of it?" He asked, glancing up at me through his dark bangs.

I paused in lifting my tea-cup before letting out a soft sigh. "I'm concerned. I wrote that book for a reason but I honestly didn't expect the attention I've received because of it. We need to fix this as soon as possible. But at the same time, I don't want to go back." I glanced up at him as I sipped my tea. "I fear that once I return, I'll never want to leave. I love the life Eren and I have created here."

Bert smiled softly, finished whatever he was doing with his phone which he placed on the table beside his coffee cup. "We worry about you, you know." A sly smile came to his lips. "Especially Reiner. Ever since your new book came out he's been worried about the attention you may receive. The last thing either of us want is for you to get hurt."

I shook my head. "I don't think you need to worry about that. People believe what they want to believe these days. They find it impossible to believe that things like us actually exist." I hummed softly, leaning back in my seat as I flashed him a smile. "That's why I'm a little surprised my bosses believed me. They're very intelligent and logical men. But I suppose, that's why they _do_ believe me."

Bert nodded before his phone lit up, signalling he had a new message. He glanced at it before smiling at me. "Seems Reiner and I are definitely in."

I couldn't help but grin at him. "Lovely."

* * *

I waved as Bert disappeared around a corner, leaving me alone on the sidewalk outside of the café. I rolled my shoulders, adjusting my earmuffs for a moment before flashing a smile at Sasha through the café window. She returned it and we waved to each other before I took off down the sidewalk. It was always nice seeing Bert and I was glad that he and Reiner would be joining us on our adventure back to Trost. The more, the merrier I supposed.

It was nearing noon and I knew I had a good hour before I had to reach my next appointment. But I figured arriving a little early wouldn't hurt. I was nearing the metro entrance when something in a store window caught my eye. I paused in the middle of the sidewalk, moving out of the way for the other pedestrians, and approached the large window. There, sitting on a little pedestal was my book. My Tales Of Trost book. And beside it, was a cardboard cutout of what the advertisers had decided a Titan looked like. Though I did my best to explain to them what Eren's Titan form looked like, they still never got it right. But, it did look nice.

With a soft smile on my lips, I disappeared into the book store. The bell rung over my head as I entered and I went straight for the display for my book. It was lovely really. I couldn't help but grin as I picked up one of the leather-bound books and tugged off one glove with my teeth. I ran my bare fingertips over the cool leather and felt the imprint of the beautiful tree etched into the leather. It had been Levi's idea to make the book seem like the one from the story. It had been a brilliant idea really because it definitely stood out on a book shelf. It had cost so much more but according to Levi, it was worth it. The sales more than made up for the cost. Pride swelled in my chest as I gazed over the book. It had felt wonderful back then that Levi had such faith in my story and it felt even more so that he had been correct.

"Have you read it?" The deep, soothing voice caught me off guard for a moment and I glanced up to see a handsome brunette with a green apron on standing beside me.

I blinked at him for a moment before smiling softly and nodded. "Yes, I have." I gazed over the male, recognizing that he was an employee of the bookstore I wondered into.

"Did you like it?" He asked, seemingly genuinely curious.

I nodded, glancing back down to the book. "It's a lovely story."

The male whose name tag stated he was "Mike" smiled softly at me as he leaned against the table where the books sat. "I read it to my son every night. It's his favorite. Though, I still can't help but to think it's not for children."

I chuckled softly, brushing my thumb over the leather. "Oh, it's certainly for children. But children these days are so different. Parents worry too much about them. I think children need a little fear instilled in them." I placed the book down a little reluctantly. "And so do the adults."

A thick eyebrow raised while a soft smirk rested on his lips. "I like how you think." He nodded his head toward the book. "You believe it? I heard the author is actually from Trost. Though, I don't understand that considering the place was deserted until over a year ago."

My lips curled back into a soft smirk. "Oh, I don't know. You tell me. What do you think?"

He hummed, shrugging as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Well, there's two ways I can look at it. I can look at it as a fairy tale. Think that it's brilliantly written and a wonderful love story for the modern age. But, it's fiction. Or, I could look at it from the other side. It's still written beautifully and it's a wonderful love story. But there's so much more to it than that. There's darkness and fear. Because if you sit down and think about it, the idea of a Titan is actually terrifying." He glanced at the small cutout of the "titan". "Though that thing is not intimidating at all." His tone was amused.

I nodded in agreement with him. "So which way _do_ you look at it?" I asked, turning to face him fully as I rested my hip against the table.

"It's fiction." He answered honestly, glancing me up and down in a way I was very used to. "Because the idea of a Titan really existing, hiding in our world, is a bit too scary to accept."

I took a step forward. "Oh, but the Titan's are harmless. Sure, they're large and intimidating but really, they're nothing but giant puppies."

Mike's eyebrow perked. "Is that so? You sound like you know what you're talking about."

I chuckled, glancing away from him to the pile of books. "Oh well, you know, author and all that." I said, giving him a knowing smile.

His eyes widened slightly and then he shifted, moving to snatch up one of the books. He flipped it open to the last page where a little info about the author was along with a black and white picture of myself that Levi had insisted on. Mike's eyes widened slightly and he glanced from the picture to my face a couple times. "Oh. Look at that."

I chuckled at his surprised words, tugging on my glove. "I'm honored with the display you have here." I motioned to it before smiling at him. "And I'm also thankful for your kind words about it."

"Oh, well," His tanned cheeks flushed and he placed the book down, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're welcome."

I smiled at him. "While I'm here, You wouldn't happen to have a fairy tale section would you? It's my first time actually coming here."

A smile came to his face. "We do. This way." He motioned for me to follow him and lead me to a nice sized section of books. I thanked him and he left me on my own with a smile.

I searched through the many books for a good twenty minutes for I found a book worthy enough to read to Eren. I saw Mike once again as I checked out and shook his hand because for some reason, he wanted to. I left the books store with a smile and a new book. It was always a good thing for me to wonder into a bookstore. They never disappointed me. Ever.

* * *

With two new books in hand, placed neatly in a brown bag that was settled comfortably in the bend of my elbow, I left the book store with a wave to the kind clerk and continued on my way. A quick glance to my phone informed me I only had fifteen minutes to get to my next appointment. I let out a soft hiss and moved rather quickly down the two flights of stairs and caught my train just in time. When I emerged from the depth of New York once again, a whistle blew and I knew I was just on time. With a grin on my lips, I moved past pedestrians to arrive at the large building site.

Construction workers wandered around the large dirt site where they were in the beginning stages of building a restaurant. My heart leapt into my throat as I entered the sight, my bright eyes glancing around frantically for a certain someone. He was easy to spot. After all, he was the only man running around with out a shirt on. No matter how cold, Eren felt more comfortable doing manual labor without a shirt on. My face flushed as I crossed the dirt, flashing a few smiles at some of the construction workers who recognized me.

Eren had his back to me as he spoke to Connie and a few of his other co-workers. They were all seated on a bench with their lunches in hand as Eren went on about something that I couldn't quite catch. Connie noticed me first and a large grin split across his face. One of the other men, an older man known as Van, smiled as well and motioned to me, gaining Eren's attention. I stepped up next to my lover, tugging off my ear muffs, just as he turned to see me. Those forest eyes met mine and I finally felt complete once again. The smile that come to those lips was the only thing I would ever need to survive in my lifetime.

"Hey you." Eren murmured softly, slipping an arm around my waist as he pulled me against his body, the heat radiating from him.

I smiled up at him, reaching a hand up to cup his neck as he leaned down to meet my lips in a soft kiss. There were a few whistles and I felt Eren smile into the soft kiss. It was a well-known fact between the two of us that everyone he worked with aside from Connie thought I was female. It was also a mutual agreement that neither of us would dare to correct them. After all, it was just easier for the two of us to seem like a regular couple. We'd learned a lot over time and the main thing was that no matter where we went, not everyone was okay with a relationship like ours. Though, New York had been the most accepting.

Warmth flared down my body as we pulled apart with soft smiles on our faces. "Hello to you too."

Eren's eyes glistened at my words and he captured my lips once again. I nearly dropped the bag in my hand as I leaned against him, letting his warmth sink into my bones. Connie was laughing at something one of the older men said as I pulled back from the kiss with a sly smile on my lips. "Oh did you miss me that much? It's only been a few hours."

A dark eyebrow perked, a smirk on his sinful lips. "What's in the bag?"

I giggled softly at his words and pulled away from him though his hand remained on the small of my back. "It's a surprise." I lifted the bag, shaking it to emphasize my point. "You'll see when you get home."

"I love surprises." He mumbled softly into my ear, placing a soft kiss just below it before pulling away from me to approach the others at the bench.

I was frozen for half a second at his words and tone. Goodness that man still knew how to get to me without even trying. I shook it off as I approached the others as well, greeting them with a warm smile. "How goes the work, gentlemen?"

"Ah, you know, same old same old." Van grumbled as he took a bite of his sub while Eren plopped down next to Connie to start eating his lunch.

"Too cold for this shit." Carl, another older man beside Van, spoke with a grimace. "I don't know how he manages it." He jabbed a thumb over at Eren as he smiled slyly at me.

"The love of a good woman, that's how." Van went on, leaning back against the building that the bench was pressed against. He gave me a wink which caused me to giggle. Oh goodness. These older men sure were fun sometimes. "Or he's just insane."

"I'm going with the insane." Connie said with a snort, earning a nudge from Eren. "I mean, I have the love of a good woman but you don't see me walking around in this weather without a shirt."

I laughed through my nose at his words. "You also don't have the pecks that Eren does."

Connie's cheeks flushed and he pointed a gloved finger at me. "Hey! Don't take Sasha's side!"

"Ha! He's my boyfriend, Connie!"

"That doesn't matter." He grumbled, leaning back as he sunk in his oversized coat. "Not fair. Both of you." And he went on to grumble about betraying girlfriends and whatnot. He meant no harm and Eren and I knew that.

"Speaking of that." Van started, pointing his sub at Eren and then me. "When are you two gonna get hitched?" Eren nearly choked on his water and I found myself smirking softly between the two of them. "I mean, you've been datin' since before Eren started working here over a year ago. So how long is it really?"

Connie was patting Eren's back as he tried to catch his breath while I just giggled softly. "We've been together so long, I can hardly remember exactly how long."

"Well there ya go." He flicked a hand at me before leaning forward to point a thumb at Eren. "You better stack up, boy. A woman like that don't come along every day."

I couldn't help but giggle at the pleading look Eren was giving me. "What? He has a point you know." I shrugged.

"He sure does." Carl mumbled around his sandwich. "My wife never came to visit me on the site even in the beginning of our marriage. But here comes your lady, everyday, without fail at lunch time just to see you."

I grinned, placing my hands on my hips. "I come to see him cause I can't stand being away from him for that long. Really, Eren's the type that doesn't come along very often."

" _God_ do you two have to be so sickening sweet?" Connie groaned at the grins Eren and I exchanged.

"Oh please, You and Sasha are worse than us when the two of you get drunk."

His face flushed at my words. "H-Hey! That's not the point here!"

I chuckled softly at his words, shaking my head as I moved to plop down in Eren's lap. He nearly dropped his sandwich at my action but his arm instinctively went around my waist and pulled me close. I dropped the bag to the ground and settled in his lap, sitting sideways. The others just continued eating their lunch, use to our ways by now. Eren narrowed his eyes at me slightly as he chewed on a bite of his sandwich.

"What?" I questioned him softly.

"Are you alright?" He asked softly after swallowing.

I just blinked at him. "I saw Bert."

He blinked back at me. "And?"

"They're doing well. We agreed to have dinner with all of us sometime soon."

Eren leaned back, his hand resting on my hip as he looked me over with a nod. "What did Smith want?"

"Oh. Ah," I chewed on my bottom lip as I glanced away from him, "We have to talk about that when you get home."

"Is everything okay?" His tone took on a concerned note.

I shrugged. "I believe so. We'll see."

He leaned forward, pressing his nose into my throat and I shivered at his warm breath. He brushed strands of hair away with his nose before placing a soft kiss against my skin, sending shivers in its wake. "Are you sure?" He whispered against my neck, his warm breath ghosting over the skin there.

"Yes." I whispered back softly though it was obvious Connie heard it. He perked an eyebrow at me before noticing how Eren's face was buried into my hair and neck. His tanned cheeks flushed and he quickly turned his attention elsewhere which only caused me to giggle faintly. "Well, I should let you gentlemen eat your lunch in peace." I said with humor as I got to my feet along with Eren who seemingly refused to release me yet. I turned to face him fully, pressing against his chest after he placed his sandwich down and slipped both of his arms around my waist.

"See you when I get home." He mumbled, pressing his forehead to mine to stare into my eyes.

I felt my cheeks flush as I smiled up at him. "Don't be late." I leaned up to capture his lips in a soft kiss.

"I love you." He mumbled against my lips. And even though I've heard him say that phase countless times over the years, it still caused my heart to stutter. I figured the day that stopped was the day we were in trouble. Though I doubted that would ever actually happen.

"And I love you." I purred back with a soft smile, giving him one last kiss before I was finally released. I pulled my ear muffs back over my ears, pulling a few strands of hair out of the way before grinning at the four men who were casually watching me. "Have a good day, gents!" They mumbled their goodbyes with smiles as I waved to them before turning around to leave.

It was strange really. No matter when or how... Every time I left Eren behind, be it for work or just to go to the bathroom, I still felt a little emptiness inside. Being with him made me feel complete. Even though I knew we wouldn't be apart long, I still felt empty without him with me. Even after all these years... Though the empty feeling wasn't pleasant as I left the construction site and moved toward the metro entrance, it was welcomed. Because I knew that if I ever stopped feeling the empty feeling, that Eren and I were in trouble. I was sure, however, that a day like that would never come.

* * *

Marriage. It was a conversation Eren and I had multiple times. It always ended the same. With both of us tangled in sheets and still no where near a decision on the matter. Not that I minded too much. We were the only people to ever bring it up until we moved to New York. Bert and Reiner had rings that they wore even if they weren't exactly married. Eren had asked me if I wanted something like that and at the time, I had told him no. But recently, I had rethought that.

I released a soft sigh as I pushed open the sliding glass door of our shower. Dinner was in the oven and I thought it best to get nice and clean before Eren came home in an hour. The cold air and wind has practically ruined my hair so I was combing through it with my fingers as I waited for the hot water to start flowing through the shower head. After a few more twists of the crystal knobs, the water was perfect for me and I slipped inside, closing the door behind me. The steaming water felt wonderful against my pale skin as I stood under the flow, just enjoying the feeling of it washing over my body.

I loved Eren. I loved him more than I was sure any one person could love another being. He was my life, my energy, my reason. The way we felt about each other had no dimmed in the amount of time we'd spent together. If anything, It seemed to only grow more and more deeply with each passing day. As Bert always said, We were true love at its core definition. Most people wouldn't have sacrificed what I did for love. I left everything I knew behind for Eren and there was not once in my life that I regretting doing so. Never.

But there were still things that I did regret. Eren and I were not perfect. We had our fights and disagreements. There was even a time back when we lived in London that I left Eren. It was only for the night but it had practically killed both of us. I couldn't even remember what it was over. I knew it had something to do with jealousy, something we both had a rather huge problem with. I remember feeling that Eren didn't trust me and that _hurt_. So I left to stay with Bert and Reiner for the night just to think on things.

The next morning, Eren was at their door before the sun had even risen with a handful of apologies and a thermos of honey tea. It was all I needed really. It had been one of the worst nights in my life. The first night I had spent away from Eren since I met him. We both vowed to never allow such a thing to happen and since then, we'd reeled in our jealousy issues. We trusted one another to the best of our abilities. But still... A ring wouldn't hurt. At least then, people would leave us alone and know without a doubt that we were taken.

I hissed softly, closing my eyes tightly as I started to run fingers through my hair under the water, trying to get a few tangles out. I knew more than anyone how gorgeous Eren was. He was tall, built nicely and tanned to perfection. And it was all _natural._ Plus, ever since he decided to grow out his hair, his attraction level rose a few points. He was most woman's wet dream and yet he was _real_. It was amazing how many times I had managed to _not_ punch some harlot who was hitting on my Titan. Eren was always kind about it, telling them how he was taken and whatnot. But that didn't always stop some of them and it bothered the hell out of me.

I bit my lip in frustration as I started to wash my long hair. A ring would stop them and if it didn't, at least I would have more of a reason to punch their lights out. I thought about the idea of marriage more than normal recently and since Van had brought it up, the idea was now stuck in my head. How could it not be? He had a point after all. But then again, he considered me to be a woman. Marriage wasn't easy for a couple like us. But really, I didn't need a piece of paper or anything like that. I just... I wanted a ring. But I had no idea how to bring it up to Eren.

There was no way I could bring it up when he arrived home. We had something more important to discuss and I didn't even know how to bring _that_ up. I knew my mate. I knew him better than anyone. But there were still times when Eren surprised me so I just couldn't assume his reaction. I knew it wouldn't too bad but I still wasn't sure how he was going to react to Erwin and Levi knowing about us. After all, Eren had a strong dislike for Levi and he was half convinced Erwin had a thing for my ass. Well... Eren was convinced everyone with a brain had a thing for my ass but that was a whole other matter.

I was rubbing a towel through my hair when I heard the door to our apartment open. I blinked in surprise at my reflection, only wearing a towel that hung low on my hips. He was early. Or perhaps I had taken longer in the shower than I first thought. Either way, I wasn't dressed nor had I figured out a way to tell him. With a faint sigh, I fluffed my mostly dry hair and left the bathroom in search of my lover.

I didn't have to look far, considering our bedroom and bathroom were the only closed off rooms in the entire apartment. I paused at the doorway of our bedroom and just watched for a moment as Eren looked over one of the books I bought that I had left on the coffee table in the living room. He was slowly removing his coat as he read over the back of the book with a keen interest. A smile came to my lips as I moved to approach him.

"Dragons, huh?" He spoke softly, noticing my presence but didn't look up from the book in his hands.

I chuckled softly. "Well, you certainly enjoyed the last book about dragons. I thought you might like this. It's the beginning of a series. I bought the first two." I told him, pausing at his side to take his coat, hat, gloves and scarf.

"Hm, certainly sounds interesting. Didn't they make a movie about these?" He questioned as he started to look over the second book.

I nodded as I put his things away in the hall closet, shivering slightly at the lingering cool air that had entered the warm apartment when he had. "They did. I thought we could read the books and then possibly watch the movie together."

"That sounds..." His words trailed off as he finally raised his eyes to me, faltering slightly. "Armin. Why are you naked?"

I chuckled at his words and moved past him into the kitchen. "I'm not entirely naked. But I was taking a shower and it took longer than I realized." I told him as I checked the oven, making sure the pork chops were still fine. They didn't have much longer till they were done. I smiled softly to myself as I shut the oven door and stood up straight. The warm arms that encircled my waist were not unwelcome and I leaned back into the warm chest of the man I loved.

"You should welcome me home naked more often." Eren mumbled as he nuzzled into my neck, placing a soft kiss there.

I laughed softly at his words. "Oh, I'm sure you would just _love_ that."

"I would actually." I felt his smile against my neck as he started to pepper kisses over my skin.

I hummed softly, letting my eyes slip shut as I tilted my head back to give him better access. "We have twenty minutes until dinner's done." I mumbled softly.

Those lips against my neck curled into a smirk as this warm sinful hands rubbed over my hips. "That's plenty of time." His hand slipped down my arm before linking his fingers with mine. I opened my eyes to glance back at him and that was all the answer he needed. With a faint smirk on his lips, he tugged me along to the bedroom so I could welcome him home _properly._

* * *

"I think we burnt it just a bit." Eren said with a chuckle as he returned to the bedroom, running a towel through his damp hair. "I pulled them out of the oven and they're salvageable."

I hummed from my place on the bed, still stark naked, laying on my back with my eyes closed. "I said twenty." I mumbled. "Not forty."

Eren let out a laugh and I felt the bed dip as he sat beside me. "You can't rush love, babe." He leaned over to press a soft kiss to my lips that I weakly returned. "And really, what are you complaining about? You were begging for more not even ten-" He let out a bark of laughter at the slap I gave his bicep.

"Shush." I mumbled as I sat up, running a hand through my mess of hair. "I just had a shower too."

"Hmm." Eren leaned close, nuzzling into my throat. "You still smell lovely."

My cheeks flushed at his words as I pushed him away to get to my feet. "You're an animal." I huffed slightly as I moved into the bathroom to clean up. Eren already had his shower and I just planned on cleaning myself up.

"Not an animal, babe. A Titan. There's a difference." He called from the bedroom which only caused me to laugh softly.

"My Titan~." I called back with a soft laugh as I started to clean myself up. I took my time, making sure every little nook and cranny was clean. After doing so, I returned to the bedroom to find Eren had gone. I pulled on a pair of loose black sleep pants along with a blue t-shirt before slipping my bare feet into these black fuzzy boots I just loved to wear around the apartment.

Fully dressed, I made my way into the kitchen wear a half-naked Eren was busying himself with making our plates for dinner. I smiled softly, just watching him as he moved and enjoyed the sight. He wore only a pair of black sleep pants that rested low on his hips. I was watching for at least five minutes before he noticed me, a sly smile coming to his lips.

"Hey, Dinner's ready." He said, lifting the two plates in his hands to emphasize. We smiled at each other as we moved to the small round kitchen table. I grabbed two glasses of water while Eren placed the plates down and then we sat across from each other, ready to eat.

I lifted my fork and poked at the slightly burned pork chop and found it wasn't all that badly burnt. "Next time, remind me to turn the oven off." I mumbled as I started to cut the slightly tough piece of meat into bite size pieces.

Eren chuckled softly at my words as he did the same. "It's not like I was planning to take that long. You just... Well, you drive me wild. You know that." His words were spoken effortlessly but they still made my cheeks flush a light pink.

"Still. I worked hard on this." I popped a piece in my mouth, chewed for a moment and then swallowed. "Hm, actually, it's not too bad."

He chuckled as he took a bite as well. "Lovely as always." He stated before starting to eat more.

I hummed at him, taking a sip of water as I watched him across the table. "So, how was work?"

"Same as always. Connie did fall off a plank though." He said with a shrug. "But he was fine. Kids tough."

I perked an eyebrow at him. "I saw Sasha when I went out to lunch with Bert. Those two seem to be doing pretty well."

"Connie told me he was thinking about proposing."

I paused at his words, glancing up from my plate to see him watching me with _that_ look. _Oh._ This was it. This was my chance to bring it up. "Really? It would be lovely if they got married. I believe they're great together."

"They are. I'm sure she'll say yes. But Connie's a bit worried about _how_ to do it. He says he wants it to be special." Eren continued to eat but those deep forest eyes never left mine.

"I'm sure either way she'll be happy and say yes. I mean, who wouldn't want to wear the ring of the person they love?"

Eren searched my eyes for a moment before a smile broke out on his face and he leaned back in his chair. "I suppose that's true. I wouldn't mind."

"Neither would I." I told him with a smile that caused his beautifully tanned cheeks to flush darker.

"Good to know." He smiled knowingly to me as he sipped some of his water. I was happy that ym message had finally gotten across. At least I was pretty sure it had. "So, how's Bert and Reiner?" He asked, changing the subject effortlessly.

"Oh, they're well. Still searching for a place around here. I'm sure they'll find something soon."

Eren nodded in agreement. "What did Mr. Smith want?"

I blinked at the sudden question and sunk back in my chair, letting out a soft sigh. I knew it was coming but I still wasn't sure how to say it. I figured the best way was to just let it out. "He knows."

A dark eyebrow perked but otherwise, Eren stayed still as he watched me from the other side of the table. "Knows what?"

"You know what." I grumbled back, biting my lip.

Still, Eren just watched me with calm green eyes. "How?"

I let out a soft sigh before speaking. "People are disappearing in Trost. It's become such a big deal that Erwin talked to me about it. He asked and I... I couldn't lie to him. And if he knows, then Levi knows."

Eren searched my eyes. "And?"

I bit my lower lip. " _And_ he's still skeptical but he wants us to go to Trost. Tomorrow."

A cough came from the back of Eren's throat at my words and his eyes widened slightly. "Tomorrow?"

I shifted in my seat. "People are disappearing, Eren. And the more people who disappear the more people who will enter the forest to find them and... It's just a really bad situation."

"And he expects us to fix it?"

"Well... Yes. But um..." I glanced around the apartment before getting to my feet. "Not just him. Hanji is worried too." I grabbed the letter from the island counter in the kitchen before returning to Eren. "She wants us to come as soon as possible, along with Bert and Reiner." I handed him the letter and watched him open it as I stood at his side. "I already spoke to Bert about it and they're in. Mikasa is coming too. I am sorry I didn't ask you but... You know there's not really a choice in the matter when it comes to Erwin Smith."

Eren was quiet as he read over the letter, his brow knitting together the more he read on. "Mikasa's coming too?" He questioned softly as he refolded the letter. "Well, I guess there's no fighting it then." He placed the letter on the table beside his plate before suddenly grabbed my arm. The world spun as I was tugged and pulled down into his lap. I blinked, shifting in his lap as I wrapped one arm around his shoulders. "It'll be nice to return. I wish it was under better circumstances however."

"You're not mad?" I questioned softly, biting my lip as I met his eyes.

A smile came to his lips as he leaned forward to nuzzle his nose against mine. "Armin, why would I be mad? We're going home to Trost. And of all the people to know about us, Erwin and Levi are trustworthy. Even if I can hardly stand either of them." His voice took a slight growl at those words. "I just hope that Hanji knows how to fix this. I really don't want more innocent people to die because this world is too full of itself to see the truth anymore."

I hummed faintly and closed the distance between us, kissing him softly. "Have I ever told you you're the best? Because you are. You simply are."

Eren chuckled at my mumbled words as his arms encircled my waist the best they could in our position. "But you, my dear, you are perfection." He mumbled against my lips before pressing another soft kiss to them. It wasn't long before I become lost in those lips and tongue. It was easy to do so after all. With a soft hum, I pulled away from the other male, licking my lips as soft pants escaped.

"Mmm, we should finish dinner so we can pack. Our flight's early tomorrow. Mikasa's going to meet us there." I spoke a little breathlessly.

Eren's hands tightened on my hips as he buried his face in the crook of my neck. "What about my work?"

"Erwin took care of it. You're off for the next week. I'm hoping we won't have to be gone that long."

Eren hummed before slowly, hesitantly, releasing me. "Alright, alright." I chuckled at the small pout on his lips before kissing it away. After all, how could I resist? Dinner could wait. Packing could wait. Eren always came first.

* * *

The invention of flight just happened to be one of those things that I was happy for. Without it, Eren and I surely wouldn't have made it as far as we had. Sure it was expensive to fly, but I would have never thought centuries ago that I could climb on a large metal contraption and actually go into the sky and fly. The first time Eren and I flew, we were terrified. Now, it was just normal for us. We traveled by plane quite often. But even so, I never tired of it.

Mikasa had called early that morning before we left, explaining how she couldn't come with us. Apparently there was some nest of some sort in the suburbs of New York and she had a job to do. She trusted that Eren and I could handle ourselves but if we had any issues to let her know. Levi wasn't entirely happy that the girl had backed out but I could tell he was in a way, relieved. At least I didn't have to deal with her and Levi fighting on top of Eren and his disagreements.

The hotel that sat directly outside of Trost was rather tall. It reminded me of a hotel from New York but a little less... fancy. It certainly looked out of place with the surrounding fields, cottages and trees. It wasn't nearly as tall as the forest but it was large enough to fit anyone who decided to visit Trost. A town that was starting to come back to life. But the hotel... The hotel held no interest of mine.

I let out a soft gasp as I dropped my suitcase, my eyes wide as I stared over the village across the road from the parking lot of the hotel. Eren nearly stumbled into me at my sudden pause but I was too caught up.

"Armin?" He questioned softly, a concerned hand on my shoulder.

I didn't notice, however. I felt my eyes start to well with tears and before I could stop myself, I was moving. I heard Eren yell back to Erwin and Levi that we would return but I didn't stop. I moved forward, across the dirt road and into the town I once called home.

It wasn't... Possible. I'd seen pictures, sure, but this... This was different. Somehow... Someway... Trost was actually untouched by time. It looked exactly as it had when Eren and I left those many years ago. Logically, that wasn't possible. It was such a long time ago... How could the cottages and buildings be untouched? They should have crumbled over time or at least been overtaken by nature. But they _weren't._

My eyes were wide as I moved into the town, glancing around at the familiar buildings covered in snow. There was the town hall and Jean's house. And there was Marco's home. Mr. Thomas and... I hadn't realized I had begun to cry until Eren came up beside me and slipped his warm hand into mine, squeezing my fingers. I swallowed hard but made no move to wipe away my tears.

I could _feel_ it. Perhaps it was because of the titan blood in my veins but I was always able to _s_ _ense_ magic. And Trost was sparking with it. Somehow, someone, had surrounded Trost with magic, leaving it in a permanent state. I had no idea why anyone would do that or even who could. I was sure Hanji didn't have that kind of power. But at the moment, none of that mattered. This was my _home_.

There were a few other people walking around, seemingly just as in awe as I was but really... they had no idea. I squeezed Eren's hand, causing him to move a little closer to me as we turned onto a distinct pathway. It was a path I had taken many time in my youth. A path that was so familiar I didn't even need to look down. A left turn from Jean's house and then another right. Past the Conner's home and down the path a bit more...

I stopped in my tracks, another gasp coming from my lips as my hand snapped up to cover my mouth. There it sat. As perfect as it ever had; Completely untouched by time. The tears fell uncontrollably then. Eren watched me with worried eyes but he remained silent at my side as I started to move forward once again, only slower than before.

By the time we reached the steps of the cottage, my tears had calmed and Eren had wiped them away with the sleeves of his jacket. I released his hand and moved up the steps, reaching forward with a shaking hand to press my palm against the wooden door. I shivered at the spark that ran through my body. This was... This was my _home_. It had once been a place so special to me. A place of comfort, warmth, and love. My body began to shake as I hung my head, biting into my bottom lip rather hard.

"I wonder what really happened to them all." Eren spoke softly as he stepped up beside me, his arm weaving around my shoulders to pull me against his warm side. He placed his hand over mine, a soft smile on his lips as I glanced over at him. "Leah, Roger and Armin." He mumbled softly, glancing up at the cottage. "Do you really believe the entire town just up and left one day?"

I shook my head, straightening up as I looked up at the beautiful cottage I once called home. A cottage my sister, her husband and the son that was named after me once lived. "I believe over time, the forest became a place of... fear. More so than ever after our story was spread. I think after our visit... People became more aware of the danger lurking in the woods and became even more afraid that the danger may leak into their town. I'm sure Leah stayed until there was no one left. She wouldn't have wanted to leave. But it's not possible to survive in a town like this alone. So, I'm sure they moved on to the town over just like everyone else."

Eren glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, his brow furrowed slightly. "Do you regret it?"

My breath caught in my throat and I immediately turned to face him, grasping his face between my hands as I pulled him down into a soft kiss. The kiss was soft, warm and only last for a few seconds before I pulled away to look up into his eyes. "I have never regretted any decision I have ever made that involved you."

He let out a puff of warm air as he pressed his forehead to mine, his arms encircling around my body. "You could have stayed Armin. We both could have stayed. Leah practically begged you not to leave." He reminded me.

I bit my lip, the memory vivid in my mind. The only reason Eren and I returned to Trost almost thirty years after leaving was so I could say goodbye. I just wanted to be able to explore Trost and say my goodbyes to the town I once called home before we left for Vangard. A town a few miles north of Trost. I had never expected to stumble upon a sister I didn't know existed and her son who was the spitting image of me. Leah knew all about me. My mother had told her plenty of stories and she grew up admiring a brother and a titan she never knew. There was no denying it when she spotted me. After all, her son was the spitting image of me. She had been so... Happy. I had _family_ again. Though she begged Eren and I to stay with them, I thought it best that we didn't. The last thing I wanted was a repeat of my last visit to Trost. Leah understood but it still had been heartbreaking to leave her and little Armin behind.

"I do not regret that decision." I told him before leaning up to give him another soft kiss. "We should return to Erwin and Levi before they get annoyed."

Eren chuckled softly. "Too late for that. Levi looked pretty pissed when you just started wondering off."

I bit my lip. "Yea well, he always looks pissed."

Eren snorted softly. "True. Erwin said we could take our time, however. At least he understands. Though, he told us not to go into the forest. Not yet."

I nodded, shifting to look over my shoulder at the tall trees. "Are they really coming with us? It'll take forever."

Eren shrugged. "They might change their minds after they see us. You were fine riding me but I don't know about them." He chuckled as he buried his face into my neck.

I hummed softly at him, shifting to hug him close. "It's going to be interesting for sure. Do you think we'll see the new Titans Hanji has? The ones we didn't get to see before we left?"

"I'm sure we will. She said she needed all of us. Which reminds me, when are Bert and Reiner arriving?"

I shifted, reaching into my pocket to grab my phone although I didn't release my hold on Eren. I noticed there was no service and it caused me to laugh softly. "They had to take a later flight than us but it shouldn't take them too long." I slipped the now completely useless phone back into my pocket. "Let's head back to Erwin and Levi anyway. We can get settled in and explain to them our plan."

"Alright." Eren gave me one more kiss before releasing me. We turned to leave the cottage but stopped in our tracks at the older woman standing right in front of us. She jumped when we noticed her though there was a soft smile on her lips. She had to be around eighty or so and she seemed to be a local.

"Oh, so sorry to intrude dears." She spoke with a bit of a thick accent which confirmed my "local" theory. "I was just passing by and saw you two lovely gentlemen admiring this cottage. Are you interested in it?"

Eren and I glanced at each other before a smile came to his face and he nodded. "We are a bit."

Her smile grew. "Really? Are you? That would be simply wonderful if you bought it! I'm from Vangard but moved here a few months ago. Trost is a lovely place, dears. It really is. It would be wonderful to have young people around. It would be wonderful to have this town up and running again."

I smiled softly at her, nodding. "Yes, that would be wonderful. But, are you not concerned about the forest?" I was curious after all.

The woman's smile faded slightly. "Oh, that silly forest. I've heard stories since I was a little lass. I've told visitors time and time again to not go in there but they go anyway. Nothing I can do about that. I warned them."

I chuckled softly, grasping Eren's hand as we moved down the steps toward her. "People certainly should listen."

The woman's eyes narrowed as we stopped in front of her and she peered up at me. "You, lad, you look familiar."

I blinked at her, tilting my head slightly. "Do I? This is my first time in Trost, ma'am. You must have me mistaken for someone else."

She hummed, nodding as the smile returned to her face. "Oh, you're most likely right." She tapped the side of her head. "This noddle is not as good as it once was." She laughed softly, before turning to leave. "Well, I do hope you two considering living here. Trost is a beautiful place. Especially in the winter." She motioned around us at the beautifully snow-covered town. "Have a good day, gents." And then she was wobbling down the cobblestone path before disappearing around a corner.

"She was..." Eren started.

"A witch." I finished for him, wrapping my arms around myself at the shivers of magic that ran over my body.

Eren's eyes narrowed slightly as he slipped an arm around my shoulders and steered me in the opposite direction that the woman left off in. "I thought so. She must have been the one to preserve Trost. But why?"

I growled faintly. "I don't even want to know. I have a theory but I... I really don't want to think about it now."

Eren nodded and nuzzled into the side of me head. "One thing at a time then. Come on, I'm sure Mr. Smith and Levi are waiting for us." I nodded and allowed him to lead me back to the hotel.

* * *

"Those are some big ass trees." Levi mumbled, his back arching as his head tilted back to attempt to see the top of the trees. I tried my best not to laugh at his words as I stood beside him, Eren on my other side and Erwin on his. We stood just behind my old home where there was nothing but a large span of white untouched snow between us and the forest. "Fuck knows what they conceal."

"Makes you curious, doesn't it?" I teased softly, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. "But you _can_ feel it, can't you?"

"There's an ominous feeling seeping out from the trees." Erwin stated matter-of-factly. "Honestly, why would anyone dare to enter?"

"Sometimes you don't have a choice." I pointed out, glancing up at Eren who squeezed my hand. "You read my story."

Erwin nodded slightly, his sharp eyes scanning over the forest a good half-mile away. "What is the plan?" He asked, glancing to me.

I let out a puff of air as I adjusted the messenger bag over my shoulder. "Eren and I transform and the two of you ride on us. It's the fastest way. Bert and Reiner should arrive soon so we need to get going."

"You expect us to fucking do _what?_ " Levi hissed softly, his sharp eyes narrowed more than normal at me.

"It will take _hours_ if we go by human foot. The castle is directly in the middle of the forest." Eren explained, his forest eyes focused on the forest we had not seen for so very long. "It will also be safer for the two of you. We honestly have no idea what else might have made its way into the forest. We're not..." Eren glanced at me and I nodded. "We no longer know what else may be lurking in there."

Levi gritted his teeth, switching his jaw from side to side before glancing up at Erwin. "How damn important is it for us to go with them? They can handle this on their own."

Sharp blue eyes cut to the side though Levi didn't even flinch. "I'd like to make sure it's done with my own eyes."

The editor hissed through his teeth, crossing his arms over his chest loosely. "Fine. Let's get this over with."

Anyone else and he would have fought it. I knew that. Erwin knew that. Even Eren knew that. A smile came to my lips as I adjusted the bag over my shoulder and turned my attention to the forest. I shifted to move but a soft voice stopped me.

"Are you really going into the forest?" Our attention was drawn to the old woman Eren and I had run into earlier that day. She had a concerned look on her face but there was something deeper in her eyes. Her attention was fully on me which caused Eren to move closer toward me. "It is not safe."

I glanced between the men around me before smiling softly at the woman whose crystal blue eyes were slightly familiar. "We are aware. But there's something we must do. It's important."

Her eyes narrowed slightly and then, it was like she was struck by lightning. Her body went rigid and she suddenly stood up straight, releasing her cane that fell to the ground. Her eyes never left mine as a smirk curled onto her face. "Oh, important? I see, I see." I felt Levi shift beside me, moving an inch or so closer toward me. "Titans have duties to do after all."

Eren hissed softly. "Just who _are_ you?"

The woman waved a hand before bending down to pick up her cane effortlessly. Then, she bent over and suddenly she acted the age she appeared. "Just a villager. Be safe, gentlemen." And with that, she waddled down the pathway and disappeared behind a building.

"Well, she's fucking weird. Can we go now?" Levi mumbled, shifting away from me, back toward the forest.

I released a breath I didn't know I was holding and nodded, turning back toward the span of white snow. "Yes. Let's go."

And with that, we were off. No one tried to stop us of course. I noticed a few people watch us walk across the span of untouched snow but no one made a move to stop us. I just hoped no one dared to follow us. Luckily, we did not have such a problem. By the time we reached the edge of the forest, the people in the village had gone back to their own lives and forgot about us.

"Damn these are some big ass trees." Levi mumbled once again, arching his head backwards even more as his hands rested on his hips. "How the hell are we going to find our way in them?"

"Instinct." Eren told them as he moved forward pushing down a bush so we could pass through. With a grateful smile to him, I carefully passed through the bush, managing not to stumble. I moved forward into the forest slightly, waiting for the others as I glanced around at the tall trees. It certainly hadn't changed and I could still feel the sparks of magic in the air. "We should move a little farther into the forest before changing." Eren spoke from next to me, his hand on my arm as he turn to speak to Erwin and Levi.

"It's colder in here." Erwin pointed out as we started to move forward. Levi just shrugged and pulled the hood of his fur-lined black coat over his head.

I smiled at the two of them, having not noticed the temperature change though I did wear my white coat and matching hat. We had to at least seem like normal humans. Even Eren was wearing a thick dark green winter coat. Though I could tell by the way he shifted that it was too warm for him. Unlike him, I didn't feel stuffy in clothing. Sure, it was normal for the both of us to walk around our apartment completely nude on a daily basis but I still didn't mind the feeling of clothing against my skin. Eren, however, would seemingly never become used to it.

"Here should be fine." He stated, causing us to pause in a small clearing a good mile away from the edge of the forest. He didn't even wait for anyone to say anything before he started stripping.

"What the hell is he doing?" Levi mumbled, an eyebrow arched as he watched Eren start tugging off clothes.

"Well," I started as I removed my coat, "We can't transform in our clothing or we'll rip them. And we need them for later. Hanji has this thing about always coming clothed into her castle." I informed them as I stripped down to my pants, folding up my other clothes and stuffing them into the bag I had brought.

"Will you not freeze?" Erwin asked softly his attention on the trees as Eren and I undressed.

"Well, we really don't notice temperature. At least the cold anyway. Our bodies naturally regulate our temperate so we're never too hot or too cold. It comes in handy really." By the time I was finished speaking Eren was bare and stuffing his clothes into his own bag. Levi had shifted his eyes elsewhere, along with Erwin to give us both a little privacy. Not that it mattered much. We would still be naked in Titan form.

"Immortal, ageless, and never worrying about temperature. Being a Titan sounds interesting." Levi mumbled, allowing his eyes to shift to my face as I removed my boxers; the snow under my bare feet feeling soft.

"It can be." I glanced to Eren who was staring at me. "It's better when you have someone to share it with." I mumbled softly, feeling the heat on my cheeks as I zipped up my bag before closing the flap. "Alright." I tossed Erwin my bag who caught it effortlessly, though slight surprise was clear on his face. "Erwin you're with me. Levi with Eren." I said as Eren handed Levi his bag. "And you might want to step back a little." I told them as Eren and I shifted toward one another and a little farther away from them. "The steam from the transformation can be pretty hot."

We waited till the two of them had backed away between two trees before nodding to one another. Eren bit into his hand and I snapped my wrist. The explosion of steam was instant. I felt my body twist and turn, the bones grow and expand. The first time I had transformed had been the scariest experience of my life. Transforming wasn't painful but I was still able to _feel_ my bones snap and grow. I was used to it by now but it was still an odd feeling.

I rolled my shoulders once the transformation was done and heard them crack. I let my jaw fall and rotated it a few times. I'd only seen my titan form once in a reflection of a lake but Eren said I was beautiful. I was as tall as him and my blonde hair remained though it was longer than normal. At least it had been. Since I'd allowed my hair to grow out, my Titan hair was as long. The same color and length. My eyes also remained the same color. Skin was tight over my muscles as I clasped and unclasped my hands, checking to make sure everything was alright. It was a habit of mine really. The only really strange thing about my form was how in some places, the pale skin ripped away to reveal muscle and bone. It happened mainly around joints though Hanji said it was nothing to worry about. It didn't matter to me anymore as it was.

The steam cleared away, allowing Levi and Erwin to see us for the first time. Honestly, they both didn't seem surprised. Levi stepped forward first, looking up at Eren with an eyebrow raised. "Aren't you fucking creepy."

I smiled softly at them before glancing to Erwin. He had yet to approach but his eyes were scanning over my body. He was watching, searching, evaluating. After a minute, he seemed to gather everything he needed and finally stepped forward. "You're certainly not what I expected."

"We're going to have to change the marketing." Levi said with a soft smirk, taking in every detail of Eren's body for future reference.

I just rolled my eyes, knowing he was only seeing dollar signs. After all, I had two more books lined up for my Titan series now. It was far from over and Levi was going to squeeze as much out of it as he could. With a sigh, I knelt to the ground and bend over so Erwin could climb onto my shoulder. The male hesitated for a moment before pulling my bag over his shoulder and started to climb up my arm. I helped him the best I could before he was seated nicely on my shoulder as I got to my feet. I glanced over to see Eren had simply picked up Levi and plopped him on his shoulder. The older male was spewing obscenities at my lover as he tugged on his hair and I couldn't help but want to laugh at the two of them.

Eren just rolled his eyes at the male as he walked toward me, motioning for us to leave. I nodded to him and motioned for Erwin to take a tight hold onto my hair. The thick hair was the only thing he could really hold onto. The male did as told and then we were off, through the woods and headed back to Hanji's castle.

* * *

We passed by our old cabin on the way to the castle. It looked the same as the day we left it. I wanted to pause for a moment, to just look at it and remember but we didn't have the time. I noticed the way Eren's eyes lingered on the cabin and I knew that he felt the same way. Hopefully, when we had accomplished what we had set out to do, we could return to the cabin and relive our memories. But for now, we walked on, moving a just a bit closer to one another as our pinkies found each others. Whether Erwin or Levi noticed, I didn't know or care. It was the little things really. The small touches and smiles from Eren that continued to make my heart pound. The small things that reminded me just how much I was loved.

The trees shook suddenly and we both paused at the sound of heavy footfalls. We glanced to one another, slightly surprised. It was the sound of a Titan. We knew it all too well. Were Bert and Reiner here already? It would be surprising if they had arrived before us. Or was it one of the "new" Titans that Hanji had mentioned in her letters? When the creature broke through the trees and into our line of vision, my questions were asked. It was a new one; one we did not recognize.

It noticed us as soon as we noticed it. It paused, staring at us with large brownish green eyes. It was male and taller than either Eren or I. A good head or two taller actually. It's body was a lot like Eren's with tight muscles under tight skin but was a bit more muscular. It's light brown hair was shaggy but not too long and I could see that underneath the shaggy hair was shorter darker hair. His jaw was sharp and his mouth... Though his lips were normal, beyond that, the skin ripped away to reveal his teeth and bone. In a way, he looked familiar but I couldn't pin point just who it was. It had to be my imagination really.

Those large eyes glanced between Eren and I for a moment before he raised a large hand and waved. I blinked in surprise before lifting my free hand to return the wave. Eren just stared on a little suspicious of the male titan who, after I waved, continued walking on. We watched him for a moment as he disappeared into the forest before walking on.

Levi huffed softly, breaking the silence. "And I thought you two were freaks."

* * *

Covered in snow and untouched by time, the castle was exactly the same as I remembered. Though, if I took the time to look closer, I could see the subtle differences. Like a few new cracks, weeds and vines. But the castle was covered in them as it was so it wasn't something to notice much. I paused beside the frozen fountain that I had only ever seen unfrozen once in my life and glanced up at the large castle. Eren came to my side and plucked Levi from his shoulder to only then drop the male onto the ground. Luckily, the elder had cat-like reflexes and landed on his feet. I was sure Eren intended for the male to land on his ass.

I rolled my eyes at the smirk my lover sent me and bent down onto my knees so Erwin could climb down from my shoulder. The man dropped to his feet easily enough before I moved to stand up straight again. The other two turned away, toward the castle to look it over and Eren took his chance. He quickly leaned over, nuzzled his face into my cheek and then bit into neck. Holding back the groan that begged to be released, I grabbed his bicep, digging my nails into his skin. I could feel the smirk in Eren's eyes as he released me but I didn't have a chance to look since he then exploded into steam. I did the same, feeling my body contort and twist once again. Bones shrinking and skin ripping and melting away.

"Shit." I grumbled once back to normal and ran a hand through my hair, tugging at a few tangles. I had manged to forget to take out my hair band and now that was long gone. I didn't have another one me so now my hair would have to be let free. I wasn't a fan of that.

"It left a mark this time." Eren's voice was soft against my neck as he lapped at the mark I knew he left there. I shivered slightly at his touch, feeling my eyes roll back into my head. _Shit_. I swallowed hard and pushed Eren away gently with more self-control then I thought possible.

"If you two are done..."

We both jumped slightly at Erwin's stern voice and I found myself smiling shyly at his and Levi's knowing stares. I smacked Eren's bare arm before stepping up and taking the offered back from Erwin's hand. "Thank you." I told him softly before digging through the bag to get dressed. Eren did the same though a little less enthusiastically.

Once fully dressed, I tugged my white beanie over my head, smashing down my now wild hair and tucked it all up into it the best I could, leaving my bangs around my face to at least look somewhat presentable. Perhaps having such long hair had been a bad idea. No wonder Bert, Reiner and Eren kept theirs short when they lived in the forest. It was just easier to handle.

"How is it possible that no one is aware of this place?" Erwin asked softly from my side as he stared up at the castle.

"Magic goes pretty far." I explained, still stuffing hair into my hat as I glanced at him. "Hanji's always had a barrier around the castle that prevents anyone that's not inside the barrier from seeing it. Or well, anyone that's not Titan as well." I finished with a shrug, shoving my hands into the pockets of my white coat, satisfied that my hair was decent.

"I've never thought something such a magic could be real." He spoke softly, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "I believe there's more science behind this Hanji's work than magic."

"She _is_ a witch." Eren said, stepping up beside me and sneaking his arm around my waist, possessive, tugging me closer to his body and farther from Erwin. "But you are right." He flashed the slick backed blonde male a smile. "Most of what Hanji does is considered science. But there's a little magic dusted here and there." He nuzzled into my hat. "Like us. We're more than just science."

"You two are definitely..." Erwin narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked us over while Levi just stared up at the castle from his other side, "different."

I blinked at his choice of words and couldn't help but giggle softly. "Yea, different is kind of the only word to explain us."

"Are we just going to stand out here in the bitter ass cold or what?" Levi grumbled, shivering slightly as he stepped closer to Erwin. Though neither touched the other, Levi's face relaxed a bit at the way Erwin shifted closer to him. Really. Was it so hard to be open? Perhaps it was. I was use to Eren's way of doing things that I never through twice when he touched me in public. But these two... Erwin and Levi were professionals. And even though they knew Eren and I knew about the two of them and there was no one else around, they still kept it professional. Or perhaps that was just their relationship. I still had yet to understand either of them completely.

Eren grinned and shifted to slip his hand into mine, linking our fingers together before moving toward the large staircase that lead to the door of the castle. I followed along obediently beside him, followed by Erwin and Levi. The air was quiet and the only sound was the occasional blowing of the wind. By the time we reached the top of the stairs and moved toward the large wooden door, the silence had been replaced. Eren and I froze at the sound of something suddenly crashing and then some yelling beyond the large door.

"MARIA. YOU BETTER GET YOUR BUTT BACK HERE AND CLEAN THIS UP OR I SWEAR TO ALL THAT IS HOLY I WILL MURDER YOU IN YOUR SLEEP."

I did not recognize the feminine voice, nor the name. Eren and I glanced to one another before we both pushed open the large door and entered the castle. The entryway was void of anyone but there, in the middle of the floor, was the shattered chandelier that had somehow fell from the ceiling. The sound of fast approaching footsteps caught our attention and we turned to see a young raven haired girl run into the entryway with a grin on her face and a blonde woman on her heels. Neither of them noticed us and ran right past us down another hallway.

"What on earth..." I mumbled, glancing around as I stepped toward the shattered piece of artwork. "What is going on around here?"

"We should find Hanji." Eren side from my side, glancing back at Erwin and Levi who seemed less than amused.

"Jeeze, Rose. Do you ever shut up?!" A deep voice snapped down the hallway the two girls disappeared. A spark caused my heart to jump slightly and I found myself moving toward the hallway. "Seriously. If you two don't clean that up, Annie's going to destroy both of you!"

"EREN! ARMIN!" I was frozen to the spot at the exclamation of my name before I was suddenly engulfed by flowing robes and strong arms. "My babies!" Hanji exclaimed, having grabbed both Eren and I with each arm and pulled us against her chest. "You have returned!"

"F-Fuck, Hanji." Eren groaned, trying to push away from her and managed to nudge me in the ribs.

I let out a gasp of pain and managed to push them both off me. "Hanji, please." I said a little breathless, rubbing my ribs while Eren suddenly nuzzled into my neck as an apology. "We're happy to be back but calm down."

Though she hadn't changed a bit, the grin on Hanji's face made my heart float. She looked genuinely happy to see Eren and I. She clasped her hands together in front of chest as she looked us over. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to see you again! Look at you!" She opened her arms wide. "You're both still so young and lively! It makes a mama proud!"

Eren placed a soft kiss to my neck before I rubbed his arm and then linked our fingers together so he knew he was forgiven. He pulled his face from my neck and grinned at Hanji, placing his free hand on his hip. "Well, what did you expect?"

Her eyes widened, her mouth open to speak but those intense eyes shifted quickly to Erwin and Levi who were standing not far away. Her eyes lit up a bit more and I had to quickly move between her and my two bosses before the woman could attack them. "Oh, Armin! Did you bring me more possible titans?!" She exclaimed as she tried to look over me at Erwin and Levi who, to their credit, just seemed to find her crazy.

"No, Hanji. Hands off." Her disappointment of visible in her eyes. I shifted to introduce the two who remained calm and vaguely interested. "This is Erwin Smith and Levi Rivaille. They're my bosses. Erwin, Levi, this is Hanji."

"It's a pleasure, ma'am." Erwin spoke softly, bowing his head slightly while Levi just gave her a good once over.

"How lovely." Hanji said with a soft smile, her excitement becoming easier to conceal. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well. Though, you would make a _beautiful_ titan Mr. Smith." She spoke with a sly smirk, her arms shifting to fold under her chest. "It's a shame really." She glanced over Levi and returned his brooding look. "You, not so much. Though, some height might do you some good."

The laugh that came from Eren's throat was genuine and I nearly laughed myself. But I held it back at the glare that was sent our way. "H-Hanji," I tried to gain her attention before I broke, "We should get to business. Bertholdt and Reiner should be arriving soon as well."

Hanji's eyes sparked and she clapped her hands suddenly, the amusement fading from her face to be replaced with a serious note. "Right, of course. Now that you two have arrived, I can explain the plan. Oh, but you must meet the others first!" A grin was back on her lips and she stepped to the side, only to crush a piece of glass under her boot. It was then that she noticed the shattered chandelier. She stared over the shattered glass and metal for a moment before blinking and looking up at the ceiling. "Oh, what a shame." She snapped her fingers and suddenly, it was all gone. "That Maria is a menace, she is. Third thing she's broken this week." She sighed softly before that grin was back. "Alright! To the sitting room! We'll all meet there. Eren, you remember where it is, yes?" Eren just blinked, nodding. "I'll bring the others shortly!" And with that she ran off toward the hallway that the girls from earlier disappeared down.

"She just made shit disappear." Levi mumbled, sounding slightly astonished.

"Yea, she does that." I replied, giving Eren's hand a squeeze as the male started to lead us up the large staircase. I paused about halfway up, causing the other's to stop as I released Eren's hand. "You three go on. I... There's something I need to do."

Eren searched my eyes for a moment before nodding. He gave me a soft kiss before he lead the other two up the stairs. Erwin watched me for a moment before following along after Eren as well. I bit my lip, watching them disappear up the stairs before I quickly moved down. I ran down a hallway, taking a sharp left and then another left before finding the door I needed. I pushed open the wooden door and squinted slightly at the bright sunlight that greeted me. With a deep breath, I entered the small courtyard, hearing the door shut behind me.

The ground was covered in soft untouched snow and I almost felt guilty for disturbing it. But I pressed forward, my bright eyes focused on the large leafless tree in the center of the courtyard that had icicles hanging from it like ornaments. It was beautiful. Undisturbed and beautiful. The best resting place any one could ever have in my opinion. A soft smile came to my lips as I dropped to my knees in front of the small stone we had placed ages ago.

"I've returned, grandfather." I spoke softly, letting the wind take my voice away. I could feel the snow seeping into the fabric of my white pants but I paid it no mind as I reached forward to brush my fingers over the bitter cold stone. "I won't be here long but there's something important Eren and I have to do. He'll come see you, later. I just wanted to some visit as soon as I could." I let out a soft sigh, a smile on my lips as I glanced up at the tree. "There's so much to tell you but I... I'm sure you already know it all." The sky was clear and blue between the spaces of the branches. "I feel you everywhere and it makes me happy."

I laughed softly, letting my hand rest on the stone as I stared up at the sky. I didn't speak any more and just listened to the sound of the wind. My eyes eventually slipped shut as I enjoyed the calm. I wasn't sure how long I stayed like that. By the time I heard the door I entered through open, the snow had melted into my pants and left me feeling a little icky. I released a soft sigh, pulling my hand from the stone as I moved to my feet.

Two large, strong arms wrapped around me from behind and I couldn't hold back the grin that spread over my face. "So you're here."

Reiner chuckled from behind me, squeezing me against his large body. "We just arrived. Annie sent me after you. She said you'd be here."

I hummed and shifted in his arms so I could spin around and return his hug. "Welcome back."

"You too." He murmured against my cheek, giving me one last squeeze before releasing me. "You look good." He pointed out, looking me up and down.

I smiled up at him. "So do you. I've missed you."

A grin came to his lips and he shifted, slipping an arm around my shoulders and resting his hand atop my head. "Missed you too kid. Come on, the other's are waiting. Have you met them yet?"

"No, not yet."

"Neither have I. Bert already went up there so looks like it's just you and me." He said as he steered me toward the door. "I can't help but wonder if Hanji made all of us just for this."

"Just to seal the forest?" I questioned, glancing up at him as we passed through the door, back into the castle. It was a thought I had considered a great deal myself after learning her plan.

"It's possible, isn't it?" He asked, letting his arm slip from my head to rest at his side as we made our way toward the sitting room. "Hanji really doesn't just turn _anyone_ into a Titan. She's been picky. I've always felt she had a reason for that."

I nodded in agreement. "She always said we were the protectors of the forest. Maybe this is what she meant."

"It wouldn't surprise me. She's hell of a lot more intelligent than she likes to lead on."

"Hm, sounds familiar, no?"

Reiner blinked at my words then cut his eyes at me, a faint pink flush on his cheeks. "I have no idea what you mean."

I giggled faintly at his words. "Right, of course not."

He just shook his head. "Anyway, I heard you brough guests with you?"

I bit my lip, shifting my eyes forward as we moved up the stairs. "Yea. My bosses. Erwin and Levi. They know. Hanji didn't seem to mind at all."

"Bert told me all about it." He smiled softly at me. "They must be pretty smart people to have found out and even better people considering they don't seem to mind."

I shrugged, shifting my hands into the pockets of my coat. "They are... remarkable really. Both of them. Erwin has always been kind even though he's mistaken for being cold and Levi..." I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "Levi's a piece of work but he's just as kind."

"If they have your approval then they must be great." Reiner laughed softly, patting the top of my head. "You're the best judge of character I know."

I stuck my tongue out at him as we approached the sitting room door where voices could be heard. "Eren doesn't like either of them too much but well, that's Eren."

Reiner let out a soft bark of laughter. "Eren's jealous of anyone who comes within a foot of you. Including Bert and I."

"Yes, well, he shows his love in odd ways." I smiled up at him as I opened the door and we both slipped inside. The conversations in the room stilled and I glanced away from Reiner to be greeted with greenish-brown eyes I had thought I'd never see again. I stumbled backwards, my breath and heart catching in my throat. I felt Reiner's hands on my shoulders, steadying me but everything else disappeared other than those eyes.

"Hey Armin." Jean's voice was soft and there was a sheepish smile on his face, his shoulders hunched with his hands shoved into his pockets. He wore normal clothing; A black long-sleeved shirt and jeans. And he looked _good_ in them. My breath was still caught in my throat so I finally gasped, sucking in air I needed while I pushed myself away from Reiner gently and steadied myself.

The room was quiet as I walked up to the other male slowly, letting the pieces click together. The titan from before was Jean. It was obvious now. Those eyes were unmistakable. Just like Eren's. I'd know them anywhere. Those eyes were watching me cautiously as I paused before him, peering up at him. It was Jean; there was no mistaking it. I narrowed my eyes slightly at him, noticing the way he flinched and the way Eren was suddenly by my side.

"You're a Titan." I stated softly.

Jean visibly swallowed and nodded, still smiling sheepishly at me. "So are you."

"I mourned your death." I told him softly. "When a hundred years passed and I realized you were gone, I mourned you." It was the truth after all. It was a rocky few days for Eren and I when that realization had hit me back then. Jean had been my closest friend for a long time. I knew I would outlive him by choosing the life of a Titan but I didn't expect how much it would hurt to know I was alive and he was not. But I had been _wrong._

"I'm sorry, Armin." He spoke softly, true sadness on his face. "It wasn't exactly easy to tell you..."

"How did this happen?" I asked.

Jean glanced to his side and it was then that I noticed Marco. Both of them? They were both... I didn't understand. Why was I never told before? They obviously hadn't aged which meant they became titans around the same time that I had. Which made so sense. I would have _known_. "Well, See... It was a few years after you left with Eren..."

"Oh let me tell it!" Hanji suddenly spoke up, pushing Jean out of the way to gain my attention. A smile rested on her face as she clasped her hands together and peered into my eyes. "I knew you and Eren would leave some day, and I knew Bertholdt and Reiner would follow you, so I just _had_ to find more Titans! Annie is wonderful of course, but I need more than just her!" She twirled slightly, moving out of my line of vision so I could then see just who was in the room. "I sent word to the local villages that I was looking for workers! Anyone brave enough to enter the forest. I honestly thought no one would show up. But Annie found those two." She motioned to Jean and Marco who were standing close to one another not far from Eren and I. "Oh, it was wonderful! They were my little miracles! They knew all about the Titans. It was perfect."

My eyes lingered on Jean as Hanji continued to ramble on about miracles and whatnot. Marco was smiling softly at me so I nodded in greeting to him before shifting my eyes over to Erwin and Levi. The two were in the corner, just observing with interest. Both had their arms crossed over their chests though Levi was leaning back against the wall. Sitting on one of the three couches of the room were the two girls we had seen earlier. They seemed to have reconciled their differences because the younger had her head in the elders lap and seemed to be fast asleep. Then there was Annie, back in one corner with her hood over her head and a young girl at her side with the same cloak as she. Bert was by the door with Reiner and the two were watching us, quite amused. Five new titans. That totaled to ten titans all together. I was sure that was the exact number Hanji needed.

"What were you thinking?" I asked suddenly, turning to Jean and Marco. Marco had a comforting hand on Jean's shoulder as the male shifted awkwardly, adverting his gaze from mine.

"I thought I might get to see you again. And being a Titan didn't sound all that bad. It was a rash decision, I know, but I really don't regret it." He spoke the last words firmly after finally meeting my eyes.

"And you followed him." I stated, shifting my gaze to Marco who only smiled at me. I bit my lip, knowing exactly what Marco was thinking. A forever with his love was something I understood completely. And from the look of it... From the way Jean leaned into Marco's touch, I could tell they had come to the conclusion that they belonged together a long time ago.

"Damnit Jean." I breathed out slowly, letting the frown smooth out from my face to be replaced with a smile. "I can't be angry." I opened my arms suddenly and flung myself at the male who easily caught me with a soft laugh. "I'm too happy to see you!" I said with a laugh, nuzzling into his neck as he returned my hug.

"I'm happy to see you too." Jean mumbled, amusement in his voice.

"You too." I said, pulling back slightly to sneak an arm out, wrap it around Marco's neck and pull the male into the hug. "Both of you are idiots. But I don't think I could have been happier to see you." They both laughed softly at they hugged me. I was truly happy to see the both of them. I had mourned their deaths but they were alive, that was what mattered to me. "But don't think I've forgiven you!" I snapped, a smile still on my face as I pulled away from them to give a playful slap to each shoulder. "You should have told me sooner!"

They glanced to each other before Jean's face flushed red and he glanced away to the floor, pressing his hand over his mouth. Marco's cheeks were flushed as well but he could still look me in the eyes. "Well, we wanted to tell you. We tried to actually but... Well... Bertholdt made it pretty clear that the two of you," He glanced to Eren who was still by my side, "were still in the honeymoon stage." He rubbed the back of his neck with the cute smile on his face. "And then once you two were out of it, Jean and I were in." I blinked in slight surprise at how easily Marco was able to just admit it. He really did love him. I flushed softly at the feeling of Eren's warm, soft palm sliding along with mine as his hand slipped into mine. "By the time we were out of that, you two had left."

I gritted my teeth slightly. "Bert _knew_?" I glanced to Bert who held up his hands in defense before looking to Eren who was watching Jean with curious eyes. "Did you know?"

Those gorgeous hues of green met mine, slightly startled. "No. I had no idea."

"We thought about coming to find you two. We always knew where you were thanks to Hanji." Marco continued, his own hand slipping into Jean's. Though the male's face flushed, Jean wrapped his fingers around those tan ones without a fight. Effortless. Just like Eren and I. They really were in love. I knew it. "But, it just never happened."

"Well, you should come visit us in New York some time." I told them with a smile, pulling Eren closer to me so our shoulders connected.

Eren nodded in agreement. "We'd love to have you over."

Marco smiled kindly at Eren, nodding his head. "That sounds nice." Jean nodded in agreement, finally able to meet my eyes with a smile.

"A night on the town with some Titans. That sounds like fun." Reiner said, stepping up behind Eren and I, placing one hand on each of our shoulders. "We should all go."

Marco nodded at the male while Jean just stared at him. Eren glanced up at Reiner and then the hand Reiner had on my shoulder. The tall blonde quickly removed his hands and wandered back over to his partner who had a rather amused smile on his face.

"Well then!" Hanji suddenly clapped her hands together, gaining everyone's attention. "Now that everyone is here! We can get started!" She pulled a rather large rolled up scroll from her robes and then started to lay it out over the table in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, Reiner and Bert made their way over to Erwin and Levi and made small introductions. Reiner seemed impressed with Erwin for some reason and that piqued my interest. But I was drawn back down the to unrolled scroll as Hanji started to speak again.

"The plan is simple at its base." She began as the other Titans gathered around the table. Eren pressed to one side of me while the little girl who was with Annie stepped up to my other side. Though most of her face was covered by her hood, I could see she had the same blonde hair as Annie, who nodded to me when I glanced up at her. "With the ten of you strategically placed, I can put the spell into motion." She leaned over the table, pointing at the large red X's she had previously placed on the map. "I'm going to give each of you a staff that I need you to place as close to the edge of the forest as you can." Her tone was serious as she glanced up, connecting gazes with each of us. "Annie and Sina, you will be here." She pointed at a place on the map and did so each time she spoke. "Rose and Maria, here. Bertholdt and Reiner, here." She pointed at a place I recall close to the town the two had come from. "Jean and Marco, here. and Armin and Eren, here." She pointed to the two X's on the edge of Trost. Jean and Marco we near us. The formation created a rather large circle with a few miles between each Titan. It covered the span of the large forest. "I'll need you all to stay with the staffs, touching them. You'll know when to let go."

"And what will this do?" Erwin's voice cut through my thoughts and I snapped my eyes to him, noticing him looking at the map over my shoulder. I hadn't even noticed he had stepped up behind me. Levi was at his side, looking over Sina's head considering she was short enough for him to do so.

Hanji glanced up at Erwin's words, a soft smile on her face. "It will create a barrier, if my calculation are correct."

"And that will do...?" Erwin continued, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked the map over. I glanced back at the slicked back blonde male and felt Eren slip his hand into mine. I returned the soft squeeze my lover gave me, turning my attention back to Hanji. I had the same questions that Erwin did after all.

"To put it simply, the barrier will displace this forest from the real world. If a human is to enter the forest after the barrier has been placed, they will enter nothing but a simple forest." Her lips twitched. "The only ones who can pass through the barrier into our land will be my Titans. So, the two of you," She flicked her hand at Erwin and Levi, "will not be able to return."

"And if this does not work?"

"It will work." She stated, grabbing the map to roll it back up. "I've been planning this for a long time. Since Annie found Sina, we've finally got the right amount of Titans to accomplish it." Hanji grinned, tucking the map back into her robes. "So, let's get to work! I want this done before nightfall so we only have a few hours! Everyone grab a staff from the front hall and take your place!" And with that, she rushed out of the room, leaving us to ourselves.

I let out a breath of air and glanced to Eren who was already watching me. "Guess we should get going then." I spoke softly before turning back to Erwin. "We'll take you back to Trost. It's best you're outside of the forest when this happens."

Erwin nodded in agreement while Levi sneered. "I gotta ride that idiot again?" He asked, jabbing his thumb at Eren who just glared softly at him.

"You can ride on me if you'd prefer, Levi." I said softly, watching as Erwin's eyebrow furrowed a bit at my words. I hid the smirk on my lips and also had to push down the urge to laugh at the way Eren snapped his glare to me. Really, these men were so entertaining sometimes. So Levi had a thing for blondes. Were they really that concerned? Of course, I didn't realize exactly how my words had sounded until I glanced over to Jean and saw that he was barely holding in his laughter. Even Levi's scowl had faded slightly and his lips were twitching to let out a laugh; though the man never laughed.

I felt my cheeks flush slightly and I quickly turned away from the others. "Let's just go already. We're wasting daylight." I mumbled, quickly slipping out of the room and away from the burning eyes. I let out a soft sigh as I moved down the hallway. I wasn't surprised when I felt that warm hand slip into mine once again and Eren was walking beside me. I flushed a little darker and pressed closer to him as we walked, hearing the others start to follow as well.

"Levi can ride me. Hell, I'd prefer if both of them did." Eren grumbled softly, his hand squeezing mine as we moved down the stairs.

"You can't carry both of them." I pointed out, giving his hand a squeeze in return while smiling softly. "Reel in that possessiveness, Eren. You take Levi, I'll take Erwin. We have a job to do."

Eren hummed, letting the tension in his broad shoulders lesson as he glanced at me. "What do you think?"

I searched his eyes for a moment before I released his hand to slip my arm around his waist and pull our sides together. I could see the slight relief on his face as our bodies pressed together and his arm slipped around my shoulders. "I think it will work. Hanji's ideas have always been a bit on the wild side but that doesn't mean she's not brilliant. I have a feeling she's been planning something like this since the moment she created the first titan." Which happened to be Annie.

"So you have faith it will work?" Eren asked, letting his hand trail into my hair as we entered the front room where a bundle of tall staff stood, leaning against the wall near the front door. They appeared to be simple steel poles about the height of a typical Titan.

"I have little doubt." I informed him, my eyes focusing on the poles. I narrowed my eyes as we neared them and reached out to run my fingers over the strikingly warm metal. "She is brilliant after all. And full of magic."

Jean and Marco stepped up beside us, each of them taking a pole that was also surprisingly light. Jean bounced the pole in his hand a few times before shrugging. "Well, I trust her. If it doesn't work, we'll think of something else." Jean flashed me a smile before he grasped Marco's hand and the two disappeared out the front door.

"Armin! Armin! Eren! Eren!" I flinched at the feminine squeak of our names and turned just in time to practically be attacked by a small brunette child. Eren and I were smashed together by the arms that wrapped around our waists and we glanced to one another confused. The girl suddenly moved back, not releasing us, but more so she could look up at us. A beautiful grin plastered across her naturally dark-skinned face as she looked up at us and she couldn't have been more than six or seven. "I'm Maria! It's nice to finally meet you! Auntie Hanji has told us all about you!"

"Maria, leave the men alone." The blonde lady from before appeared, grabbing the back of Maria's collar and tugged her off of Eren and I. "She's a bit high-strung." She explained, brushing some of her short blonde hair away from her strikingly beautiful face as Maria pouted at her side, that hand still gripping her collar. They were almost like mother and daughter in a way. "My apologies. My name is Rose. It is rather nice to finally meet the two of you. Hanji has spoken fondly of the both of you." Rose couldn't have been older than Eren or I.

"It's nice to meet you too." Eren said softly, putting a smile on his face. I nodded in agreement, putting a smile on my face as well.

Rose nodded, smiling as she tugged on Maria. "Come on. Let's do what Hanji says and you can play afterwards." Maria seemed to perk up at that idea. The girl grabbed her own pole and then took off out the door with an exasperated Rose not far behind her. They truly were like a mother and her daughter. And with the introduction of those two, I was left to assume that the young teenage girl with Annie was Sina.

"Are you ready?" Erwin's voice knocked me from my thoughts and I glanced up to the tall blonde male who had appeared before me.

"Yes." I grabbed two poles then handed one to Eren before the four of us left the castle. It had started to snow at some point since we had entered the castle and was now plastering a new coat of white over the Titan footprints in the snow. After removing our clothes and stuffing them in our bags for Erwin and Levi to hold, Eren and I transformed once again.

I had no choice when Levi started to climb up my arm but I could tell Eren was not pleased with the change. The smaller brunette male fit better on my shoulder than Erwin did and I pondered why we hadn't considered it before. After all, I was a bit smaller than Eren, not as broad as him, and Levi was smaller than Erwin. It made sense really. But there was no time to question anything. Eren and I took off into the woods just as Bert and Reiner left the castle to transform.

The pole or "staff" as Hanji had called it was extra light in my hand as we walked. I was curious as to what was inside that made it so warm to the touch. Part of me knew it was magic but there was more to it than that. The disappearance problem was bad enough to cause Hanji to resort to using mostly magic and that certainly said something about the woman who preferred to use science and her brain. This was serious after all.

* * *

With a soft grunt, I placed the pole onto the ground till it was stable enough to stand on its own. I narrowed my eyes at it but kept my large Titan fingers wrapped around the top the best I could. Eren and I separated not long before after dropping Erwin and Levi off near Trost. The two returned to the town after we promised to meet up with them later that night. If everything went as planned, we shouldn't have to wait long really. I glanced to the sky to see we still had a few hours of daylight left.

My eyes were focused on the sky when the staff suddenly let out a cracking sound and lit up with a soft blue glow. I quickly snatched my hand away and watched as the pole was engulfed in the soft blue light and slowly raised into the air. The cracking sound of magic made me wince and I took a few steps backwards, suddenly wishing I wasn't alone. Not that I was afraid, but I still always felt better with Eren at my side.

A beam of blue light suddenly shot up into the sky from the pole and I watched as the light curved over the forest like a dome and shot off toward the castle. The staff lowered back to the ground and stood on its own with the light still emulating from it. My shoulders relaxed and I rested back against the trunk of a tree, my eyes focused on the glowing pole.

For a good twenty minutes, nothing else happened and I was starting to think that was all that was going to happen. I was about to leave to find Eren when the entire forest suddenly shook with the sound of a sonic boom. I feel to my knees, quickly covering my ears as the vibration shot through the forest and passed me. By the time I glanced up, the pole had fallen to the ground and the forest was silent like nothing had happened.

Was that it? Was the deed done? Slowly, I got to my feet and glanced around before grabbing the pole from the ground. It was no longer warm to the touch and the crackle of magic was gone. It was spent which lead me to believe our goal had been reached. The trees suddenly shook and I glanced up to see Eren coming toward me. I didn't stop him as his arms wrapped around me and he pulled me to his chest, hugging me tightly. If I could have, I would have smiled but I couldn't, so I just wrapped my arms around him in return.

His large hands splayed over my back and rubbed the tight skin there for a moment before he pulled back and looked me in the eyes. Those large orbs of glistening green gave me the strong urge to kiss him. Neither of us had lips in these forms but it didn't stop me from moving forward to press my mouth to his. Eren released a soft grunt, seemingly pleased with my display of affection and then grabbed my hand before tugging me along back toward the castle.

* * *

By the time we returned to the castle, Eren and I had transformed back to our normal human bodies. Fully clothed, we entered the castle to be greeted by Jean and Marco. My hair was a mess once again that I was busy trying to tame as the rest of the Titans started to arrive. Eren, Marco, Bert and Reiner talked among themselves as I busied myself combing my fingers through my long hair. Eren remained at my side and I didn't fail to notice the way he continued to glance at me. It made my body hot and my heart soar but I did my best to push those feeling away as I tried to focus on my little job at hand.

"Does that happen often?" Jean asked softly, making conversation with me as we waited for Maria, Rose, Annie and Sina to return.

I glanced up at him through thick bangs, wincing when my fingers became caught in a stubborn knot. "Only when I don't have anything to tie my hair back with."

Jean reached forward and carefully stared to tug apart the knot in my long blonde hair. "Is there a reason you keep it this long? Is it because of your Titan form?"

"Sort of. Really, it just got to the point where I didn't feel like getting it cut and Eren really liked it, so I've kept it. It's easy to maintain when I don't have to worry about transforming." I winced when he gave a sharp tug that he quickly apologized for. But my soft hiss caught Eren's attention and he turned away from his conversation with Bert to come to my side, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder.

Jean's hands quickly retracted from my hair at the soft warning glare Eren sent him. I felt the urge to sigh but reframed from doing so as I grabbed the hat I had stuffed between my legs and shoved it over my head. It was useless to even try to untangle it without some water and a comb anyway. I tucked as much hair as I could into the beanie till all that was seen was my bangs framing my face. Eren smiled softly at me, brushing hair from my cheek as he leaned forward to give me a soft kiss. I couldn't be angry at his obvious display of ownership considering the kiss left me with a flushed face and a pounding heart. Damn him. Even Jean's face was flushed slightly at the display of affection.

"My babies!" Hanji's voice echoed over the room as we all turned to see her enter through the front door with the girls behind her. "We've done it!" She punched her fist in the air with a grin on her lips. "At least, I'm sure we have! No way to be sure until a human tries to enter the forest!"

"What about the changelings?" I asked, slipping my hand into Eren's to pull the male along with me as I approached Hanji.

"They're stuck here with us. Like I said, only Titans can pass my beautiful barrier!" She clapped her hands together before grabbing Annie around the shoulders. "Thank you, all of you! I'm going to go check our beautiful work." She waved with a grin on her face before pulling Annie and Sina back out the door with her.

"I guess that's it then." Eren said with a soft sigh.

"We can go home now?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"You can't!" Maria said, appearing in front of us all of a sudden. "You just got here!" Her cute little face was squished up into a pout.

I smiled softly at her and leaned down to her level, lifting my free hand to place atop her head. "We're staying for the rest of the week so don't worry, we'll spend more time together." Her pout disappeared after that to be replaced with a rather large grin.

"Yay! Did you hear that Rose?!" She ran off to the blonde woman who nodded with a smile.

"But for now," I continued as I stood up straight, "We have to return to Trost. Erwin and Levi are waiting for us."

"We'll return tomorrow." Eren stated, nodding at Bert who smiled softly.

We said our goodbyes to the people that had become our family. I gave Jean an extra long hug for the simple fact that he still existed. We slipped out the front door of the castle after saying our goodbyes and the silence of the forest greeted us. Eren's hand remained in mine as we began the long trek back to Trost in our human forms. It would take a good few hours and the chances of us arriving back to Trost before nightfall were out the window. Chances were we wouldn't get back till close to eight or so. But I didn't mind.

Walking through the quiet, snow filled forest with Eren at my side reminded me of the times we spent together before we ever left the forest. It was soothing and nice. We were silent as we walked but that was okay. Nothing needed to be said between each other. It was pleasant and comforting. At some point our hands separated and we bought each other close by my arm around his waist and his around my shoulders. Eren would nuzzle into my hair every once in a while which caused me to smile every time.

We passed the lake were the two of us had first met and it brought back memories that made me smile. Though the actual event had not been all that pleasant and I could still feel the chill of death I felt that day, it had ended pleasantly. Because I met Eren. The Titan that saved my life, stole my heart and never let me go. I hummed softly, pressing closer to the raven haired male who smiled down at me.

"Do you think they'd mind if we took a little detour?" He asked softly, pressing his lips to my exposed hair.

"Hm? What do you have in mind?" I asked softly, glancing up at him as he started to lead me away from the lake and down a familiar path. " _Oh_." I breathed out softly, not able to hide the smile on my lips. "I'm sure they wouldn't mind all too much."

"Good." Eren purred softly, the sound vibrating in his chest as he pressed closer to me.

The path we walked was familiar though it was a little overgrown. Considering how long it had actually been it was slightly surprising to see how little everything had changed. Just like Trost, the forest seemed like a place time did not affect. I wondered if Hanji had anything to do with that. The Titans were unaffected by time and so were their forest. I doubt that the two had nothing to do with one another.

The cottage that we once called home looked exactly the same at it did the day we left it. I separated from Eren and jogged up to the cottage, my eyes wide and my breath caught in my throat. I could see the slight decay of the house with some moss growing up the side but other than that, it appeared to be the same. I glanced over as Eren pushed open the front door and peered inside. I came up behind him and lifted onto my toes to peer over his shoulder into the darkened cottage.

"Hasn't changed much." Eren mumbled softly as we both moved into the cottage. It smelt of dust and old wood but the light leaking in through the windows showed that it really hadn't changed at all. "It's just been sitting here. Waiting for us to return."

I bit my lip as I moved away from Eren and started to explore the small house. It really was the same. Memories flashed through my mind and I couldn't help but smile. This was the place we fell in love. This was the place we got to know on another. This was the place we first made love. My pale cheeks flushed at the thought and I glanced over at the other male who managed to light a lamp near the bed. That was the place we spent nearly two years obsessed with one another.

My body flushed with warmth and I found myself moving toward the other male. Eren smiled, his eyes knowing as he opened his arms. I fit perfectly into them, nuzzling against his chest as I inhaled his naturally forest-like scent. His palms were hot on my lower back and I tilted my head back just enough so those warm lips could mold with mine. The first place we made love would continue to be a place we found each other.

* * *

Spending the week at Hanji's castle was lovely. Getting to know Maria, Rose and Sina was nice. Though Sina wasn't much of a talker, she was still a nice girl who reminded me a lot of Annie. Maria was quite high-strung but Rose knew just how to reel her in. The three were a nice addition to the Titan family. But spending time with Jean and Marco was the best part. Considering I had thought I would never see the two again, it was nice to spend time with them and see that neither of them had really changed.

Leaving my family behind didn't really hit me until we were on the plane back to New York. Eren was settled beside me, his head on my shoulder as he slept while Erwin and Levi were seated in the row in front of us. I was staring out the window at the clouds that passed by when the sinking feeling set in. Those people were my family. We were a family simply because of what we were. Somehow, someway, Jean had ended up becoming my family in the end anyway and that made me smile softly.

They were happy. Everyone was happy. Rose and Maria were happy to finally have a home. Annie was happy to have someone like her at her side and I was sure Sina felt the same. Jean and Marco were happy to be together for the rest of eternity like Eren and I. Bert and Reiner... Well, they were staying a little longer than Eren and I but they were returning to New York where we would see them often. Jean and Marco had also promised to come visit soon and I couldn't wait to show them just how much the world had changed. We were a happy family but I still felt a little pain at leaving them behind.

I had expected this. Trost was my home. It would always be my home. But Eren was my home as well. Eren would follow me to the ends of the Earth if I made him. I wouldn't of course, but it was nice to know he would. New York was our home now. It wouldn't always be, but for now it was a nice place. We'd managed to make a nice life for ourselves here. We have friends like Connie and Sasha and we have family, like Mikasa who was eagerly awaiting our safe return. I have a nice comfortable job that gave me a release for my creativity and Eren had a stable job that he enjoyed.

Chances were we would only spend another ten or so years in New York, but those ten years would be wonderful and I knew that. Bert and Reiner would be there and if I played my cards right, so would Jean and Marco. Jean had been my best friend and I missed him. I'd be happy if I could spend more time with the male even if Eren wasn't sure about the whole thing.

Either way, New York was our home for now. Perhaps we'd make our way back to Trost and live in the forest for a while once again. It wasn't out of the question but there was still so much of the world I had yet to explore. And with Eren at my side, I planned to explore everything I possibly could.

I smiled softly, glancing away from the window to look down at the soft sleeping face of the man I loved. I lifted a hand, brushing long strands of black hair away from his eyes lovingly. This man was my everything. Where he went, I would follow. Where I went, he would follow. We were partners for life and I would never wish for it to be any other way. As I brushed my fingertips over his cheek, those intense eyes opened slowly and locked with mine. The smile on his lips spread to mine and I leaned down to kiss him softly. Eren was my home and he always would be.

**Author's Note:**

> Bah. I feel like the ending was rushed and I don't know. I didn't know how to end it. But I ended it and I hope it turned out okay. Good news is I have about 15 side stories lined up for this universe. They'll be short-ish one-shots that deal with this little world I've created. For example, how Mikasa came to meet Eren and Armin and Jean and Marco's visit to New York. Just a few ideas. Some short, some long. Who knows when I'll get around to writing them.
> 
> Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. It means a lot! I do hope you enjoyed it because I happen to love how Eren and Armin are written in this universe.
> 
> Don't forget to review? I'd love to know what you thought.
> 
> Thanks again!
> 
> ~Addy~


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